SEVIS Crackdown: Car Crash Still Triggers F1 Panic

International students are constantly living in fear over small infractions following a full-blown SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) crackdown earlier this year.

This time a minor car accident was enough to send an F-1 student into a full-blown immigration panic. Taking to social media, the student, still shaken after a crash in the US, confessed they are more scared if their SEVIS will be terminated.

There were no tickets, no DUI, no criminal charge, just confusion at a fast intersection and a GPS glitch— that’s what led to a car crash. The other party got their insurance payout but still, the fear of deportation looms in the student’s mind.

Over the past few months, the US has seen a ruthless wave of SEVIS terminations, not for actual crimes, but for things like visa revocations, police stops, and even unproven allegations. Thousands of students, including many majorly Indians on F-1 visas, suddenly found their status terminated and their futures hanging by a thread.

While the crackdown has been rolled back as a result of a court order, it did its job of instilling fear among the students which still lingers on. Until the chaos settles, even innocent mistakes will come with panic.