Local News
Carnegie Mellon student with one semester left learns his visa was revoked with no explanation
pittsburgh
By Erika Stanish
Updated on: April 10, 2025 / 8:40 AM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh
Colleges and universities across Pennsylvania and the country continue to report international student visas being revoked.
Seven current and recent graduates at Carnegie Mellon University were notified that their service was terminated, including Jayson Ma's, who moved to the U.S. from China on a student visa in 2016.
"I first came to the U.S. in 2016 for high school and it was a decision that was made by my parents, you know, just recognizing that, there's a lot of great education opportunities here within the United States," Ma said. "I first came here with in mind, you know, the idea of learning the language and learning the culture, and being able to be successful once I enter college, right? And that's part of the reason why I decided to come here so early, for me to get adapted within the culture and the environment and the customs."
After graduating high school, Ma applied to CMU and was accepted into their engineering program.
"I only have a semester left and there's only three weeks left for the semester. We have finals coming up. So, with everything going on, it's kind of hard to process," Ma said.
Ma is referring to the sudden phone call he received from his designated student officer in regard to his student visa.
"She called me and told me she had to be the bearer of the bad news, and said, 'Hey, I don't know if you saw the email from the provost, but you're one of the students that we are looking at that had their service terminated.'"
No reason given for revocation
Ma said he wasn't given any reason for the revocation.
"I want to finish my degree, I want to finish my school, and I want to do what's right," Ma said.
Ma said he's been pursuing an electrical computer engineering degree, despite his mother at home in China fighting terminal cancer.
"Something of an indication about how seriously he takes this is he's not running home to take care of mom, who's dying of cancer. He wants to finish out this last mile here," said Joseph Murphy, Ma's immigration attorney.
"[My mother] saying, 'you are not allowed to fly back and visit me right now because you can't re-enter the U.S. if you leave the country. So, you need to finish your degree first.' That's what I wanted to do, but this really made it hard," Ma said.
Ma said before his visa was revoked, it had been valid through the spring of 2026. He said he was working hard to complete his degree by December.
His attorney said that Ma has not received an official termination letter from the United States Customs and Immigration Services.
Ma continues to attend classes
In the meantime, Ma said CMU has been working with him and he's still been attending classes.
"Am I, you know, intentionally breaking the law by staying here illegally to finish school? Or do I have to leave immediately and sacrificing the degree that I've been pursuing for the past three and a half years? I really don't know," Ma said.
Murphy believes this may be happening from an expunged DUI case involving Ma in 2023.
"That [DUI] didn't result in the finding of guilt. I understand the records were expunged," Murphy said. "The case was dismissed and expunged after he went through the process."
Murphy said Ma did complete ARD classes.
This week, several immigration attorneys have reported that students receiving notice that their visa statuses have been revoked have had some sort of run-in with the law.
"It's a pretty significant investment into the United States to have the carpet pulled out at the 11th hour," Murphy said in response to Ma's visa being revoked.
Preparing for the worst
Now, Ma said he is preparing for the worst, even carrying his passport and other important documents with him at all times.
"Part of the reason I have [my passport] is because I don't know what's going to happen to the future. And it's not just my passport I'm packing with me. I make sure to pack my house last night. I make sure to clean the cat litter. I'm ready to leave if I have to," Ma said.
"We're going to wait and see if a formal service termination notice ever shows up. This could just be some red herring that they threw down the school," Murphy said.
Students at other universities impacted
Other local universities, including Pitt and Penn State, have also seen international student visas revoked.
A Pitt spokesperson released this statement: "The University of Pittsburgh is in regular contact with its international scholars, providing them with updated information and travel guidance. We are aware of at least one current student and two recent graduates at the University of Pittsburgh who had their visas revoked and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated by the federal government. Whenever the University becomes aware of a change in visa status, our team from the Office of International Services reaches out to impacted individuals to offer support and resources."
The university also shared a message with the community.
Penn State also shared that some students have been impacted but would not reveal an exact number. The university is encouraging international students to carry their passports with them, a current I-94 record, a recent I-20/DS and a copy of their class schedule in the case they are approached by federal law enforcement or ICE agents.
"When Penn State Global becomes aware that a student has had their lawful status in the U.S. terminated, a staff member reaches out directly to the student to make them aware of the situation, if they aren't already. They also provide information on University resources — such as Counseling and Psychological Services, and Student Care and Advocacy — and make the student aware of available legal support. In addition, Penn State Global will work directly with impacted students to determine what options are available to them to complete their education, including online courses through Penn State World Campus," a spokesperson said.
