12-04-2025
43 visas revoked, Northwest Missouri State students told to leave US ‘immediately'
The federal government has revoked the legal status of 43 international students associated with Northwest Missouri State University, the school said in a statement Friday afternoon.
Five of the people are current students and the remaining 38 are 'optional practical training students' who graduated but remained in the country for employment associated with their visas, university president Lance Tatum said.
'Please know this situation continues to evolve and Northwest's International Involvement Center is working directly with the impacted students to offer guidance,' he said. 'However, these students also are being advised that they depart the U.S. immediately to avoid accruing unlawful presence.'
Mark Hornickel, a spokesman for the university, said the school began learning about the revocations last week through a combination of international students receiving notifications and university staff members checking the federal government's Student Exchange Visitor Information System.
The reasons for the revocations at Northwest Missouri State were not immediately clear Friday afternoon.
They come amid a wave of similar revocations for student visas across the country by President Donald Trump's administration.
Inside Higher Ed reported that as of Friday, more than 150 colleges and universities have identified more than 800 international students and recent graduates who in recent weeks have had their legal status changed by the federal government. Inside Higher Ed's database includes reports of two visa changes at Park University in the Kansas City area and an unknown number associated with the University of Missouri.
