Daijiworld Media Network – Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Jun 24: An Indian student from Hyderabad was reportedly prevented from boarding a connecting flight to New York after authorities at Amsterdam airport informed him that his US student visa had been revoked months earlier.
According to a report, the student was travelling to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport when officials from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) informed him during transit in Amsterdam that his F-1 visa was no longer valid.
The student was advised to contact the nearest US consulate for further clarification. However, he was not permitted to continue his journey and was required to return to India.
The student said he had no prior knowledge that his visa had been revoked and claimed he had not been involved in any criminal, traffic or law-and-order-related incident that could have led to such action.
According to the report, the student had first travelled to the United States in January 2025 on an F-1 student visa. It was only after being denied onward travel in Amsterdam that he learned his visa had reportedly been revoked in July 2025.
Following the incident, the student contacted his university in the United States to verify his academic status.
The institution reportedly informed him that both his Form I-20 and SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records remained active and in good standing.
Form I-20 is an official document issued by a US educational institution certifying that an international student has been admitted to a programme and is eligible to study in the country.
SEVIS is a US government database used to track and monitor international students and exchange visitors throughout their stay in the United States.
Immigration experts note that a visa and a student's immigration status are not the same.
An F-1 visa primarily functions as a travel document that allows a student to seek entry into the United States. However, possession of a valid visa does not automatically guarantee admission into the country, as US authorities make the final determination at the port of entry.
A student's legal status, meanwhile, depends on compliance with F-1 regulations and maintaining valid academic records, including active I-20 and SEVIS documentation.
As a result, a visa can be revoked while a student's academic and immigration records remain valid.
Experts advise students facing similar situations to first determine the reason for the visa revocation by contacting the relevant US embassy or consulate.
Depending on the circumstances, they may be required to apply for a fresh F-1 visa before travelling to the United States again.
Applicants are also expected to disclose any previous visa revocation during future visa interviews and provide explanations if requested by consular officials.
The incident has raised concerns among international students about visa status monitoring and the importance of regularly checking immigration documentation before undertaking international travel.