Harvard University partners with University of Toronto to support international students amid US visa concerns

Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government has launched a contingency plan with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy to support international students facing US visa complications.

The move is part of a broader effort to ensure students can continue their education without interruption, despite growing uncertainty around US immigration policy.

Under the plan, students who have already completed at least one year at Harvard and are unable to secure or renew their US visas will be allowed to enroll at the Munk School as full-time visiting students.

While registered as non-degree students at Toronto, they will still remain officially enrolled at Harvard and will graduate with a Harvard degree.

The academic structure of the program will follow a blended model. Students will take online classes taught by Harvard faculty and attend in-person sessions at the Munk School.

This hybrid approach is designed to preserve the quality of education while offering flexibility to students affected by visa delays or denials.

Students interested in this option are required to apply for a Canadian study permit by mid-July, as per guidelines issued by the University of Toronto. The program—titled HKS Global—will be launched only if there is sufficient student participation.

This initiative comes at a time of heightened concern for international students in the US. The US Department of Homeland Security had recently moved to revoke Harvard’s certification to sponsor student visas, though that attempt was temporarily blocked by a federal court.

In response, Harvard has taken proactive steps to ensure students can continue their academic journey even if physically unable to return to the US.

Analysts see this as a strategic workaround that may set a precedent for other universities facing similar challenges under shifting immigration policies.

It also reflects Canada’s growing role as a safe alternative destination for international education, especially for students from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The University of Toronto, for its part, has stated that it is fully prepared to host these students and support the joint academic effort. Munk School faculty will assist in delivering in-person coursework, while all grading and degree decisions will remain under Harvard’s purview.