Visa rejections are a common part of international travel, but visa revocations can be more complex and challenging to navigate. A Reddit post by an Indian national has sparked widespread discussion after the user revealed their U.S. B1/B2 visa was revoked following their participation in a conference at Harvard University. According to the user, the revocation could not be due to any legal or procedural violation, but possibly linked to a political protest involving other Indian students.
The individual, who traveled to the U.S. in February 2025 for a Harvard conference, said they received an email in May notifying them that their visa had been revoked. Notably, all other members of the group that attended the same conference reportedly received similar notifications. The Reddit post speculated that the revocation might be tied to a political protest held at Harvard by Indian students.
These students allegedly sent a letter to a U.S. Senator urging action against Indian delegates expected to attend a future conference. While the group mentioned in the post had already traveled and returned, their visas appear to have been caught in what the user describes as a “blanket revocation.” The B1/B2 visa is a non-immigrant visa permitting foreign nationals to visit the U.S. temporarily for business or tourism. Typically valid for up to 10 years, it allows stays of up to 180 days at a time. “It feels as though actions taken by others, in a different part of the world, have unfairly impacted us,” the user wrote. “We followed all laws and procedures, yet we are facing the consequences for something we had nothing to do with. This situation feels deeply unjust.”
The incident triggered strong reactions online. One user questioned, “What was the conference? Some details about the protests might give some insight.” Another weighed in on possible geopolitical context, stating, “There is a tussle between Harvard and the Trump administration on international students’ data. I believe your visa revocation might have been due to that. It may feel like only Indians were targeted but most likely it’s international students/delegates whose visa was based on Harvard’s invitation.”
An immigration attorney also responded to the post, commenting, “Visa revocations based on derogatory information received by the U.S. Dept of State and/or Consulate is common… a prior visa revocation will trigger additional scrutiny in future visa applications… Based on the info given by you, you may not have triggered [a ban], but be careful.” Another user highlighted the challenges ahead, “A visa revocation is going to be a bar for getting another visa. You will need to show proof of not doing whatever got you barred. Which might be impossible since there is no actual accusation.”
Some noted the broader systemic issues, “This is nothing new. People born with weak passports are suffering the consequences of actions from others before they were even born. It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing you can do. Visit visas are by definition an absolute privilege and subject to revocation anytime, for any reason.”