【Jelper’s Column】From Harvard’s Visa Freeze to Japan’s Talent Boom - A student-to-student take on the week everything shifted -

Daichi Mitsuzawa
4 days ago
3 min read

１. A Sudden Chill on U.S. Campuses

On 22 May 2025 the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security yanked Harvard University’s SEVP licence, stripping it of the power to issue new I-20s and threatening the status of more than 6800 international students*1. Harvard sued within hours, and the next morning a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order that keeps visas valid while the case moves to a June hearing*2.

In a related case, a federal judge in California also blocked immigration authorities from enforcing mass SEVIS terminations, citing due process concerns and lack of individualized review. This ruling temporarily protects thousands of international students across multiple universities, not just Harvard, from abrupt status cancellations*4.

Officials have since hinted that Stanford, Columbia and other research-heavy campuses are “under review,” turning a one-school clash into a sector-wide threat. The visa shock arrives on top of a broader crackdown:

ICE has already terminated more than 4 700 SEVIS records since April, issuing 15-day “comply-or-depart” notices to OPT graduates*4.
A draft U.S. Labor Department rule would raise entry-level H-1B prevailing wages by 30–50 %, making sponsorship costlier for employers*5.
And a new 10 % “universal tariff” (24 % for Japan if talks stall) adds fresh inflation and trade tension to the mix*6.

Taken together, the message is stark: the United States is becoming a pricier, less predictable place for global talent.

２. How the Shock Waves Hit Students

For those of us gearing up to study—or already studying—abroad, the fallout is immediate and personal.

Status anxiety. One late SEVIS update can now snowball into termination; the Harvard episode proves that even elite brands offer no immunity.
Tighter job funnels. Higher wage floors push entry-level hiring abroad or delay offers outright.
Campus belt-tightening. International tuition is a budget pillar (27 % of enrollment at Harvard). If schools lose that revenue, research assistantships, electives and even domestic scholarships feel the pinch*3.

And all of this plays out against tariff uncertainty that has already dragged down Japanese manufacturer confidence*8.

３. The Quiet Opportunity

Yet the same policies rattling U.S. campuses are opening new doors in Japan.

Government back-stops. METI has set up a tariff-response task force and hinted at subsidies to pull advanced R&D home*9.
Corporate hiring sprees. From automotive software to private-equity funds, firms are bulking up domestic tech teams to hedge U.S. uncertainty*10.
Relative stability. No SEVIS, no H-1B lottery—just a work contract and a Shinkansen pass.

For bilingual students with cloud, data or semiconductor skills, Japan Inc. suddenly looks less like a safe fallback and more like the main event.

４. Why We Should Widen Our Maps

I’m writing this as a fellow student juggling visa paperwork, grad-school apps, and Zoom interviews. The lesson of the week is simple: one visa stamp should never dictate an entire career.

Opening multiple pathways does three things:

Reduces stress. Policy headlines lose power when you have alternatives.
Boosts bargaining power. Companies pay more attention when you can walk away.
Builds resilience. Careers that hop borders collect wider networks and sharper skills.

Polishing a JLPT score, adding an AWS badge, or taking Jelper Club internships are bets that pay off whether Washington warms or chills.

５. A Student’s Closing Note

Earthquakes reshape landscapes; they also expose fresh ground to build on. The visa quake of May 2025 may close some doors, but it is prying others wide open. Especially in Japan, where demographic gaps and tariff anxieties are converging into real demand for globally minded talent.

So back up every I-20, keep your LinkedIn headline bilingual, create a Jelper club account, and remember: the wider we cast our nets, the steadier our footing—no matter how noisy the policy weather gets.

(Editor: Kaito Shiotsu, Marketing Analyst Intern at Jelper Club)