Frequently Asked Questions for International Scholars

Across the US, thousands of international students and scholars are UAW members who play an active role in building worker power and advancing a just and sustainable future for all working people. By acting collectively as union members, international scholars have secured dramatic improvements to living and working conditions – including rights, compensation, and benefits.

International students and scholars have always faced challenges and precarity on account of our status as visa holders. Since the start of 2025, the federal government has taken a series of actions that have increased these challenges and created substantial concern and uncertainty for international scholars. By working together through our union, international scholars have the ability to respond to these attacks and shape federal policy around immigration and other important issues.

See the questions below for guidance on your rights and protections as an international scholar. In the event that you experience an unexpected change in immigration status or any other immigration-related emergency, please call this number: 888-416-2110.

What free speech rights do I have as an international worker?

International workers have the same free speech rights as domestic workers. It is against the law for any worker in the United States, international or domestic, to face legal repercussions for exercising free speech. To the extent that the Trump administration tries to weaponize speech the UAW and its civil rights sister organizations stand ready to defend 1st Amendment rights of our members.

What are my union rights as an international worker?

Every worker in the US, regardless of immigration status, has the same legal right to join and participate in a union. See this informational page from the U.S. State Department for more information. No academic union members have ever reported any complications arising from their immigration status and being part of a union.

In fact, international workers hold many of the leadership positions in UAW Academic Worker unions across the country. Through our unions, international workers have negotiated additional rights and protections we otherwise would not have, including protections against discrimination of any kind and unjust discipline that could impact our visa status.

What additional protections have international workers negotiated through our union?

Academic workers in the UAW have won the right to be compensated for any loss of pay due to issues with work authorization processing, guaranteed leave to attend immigration hearings, the right to be afforded a process to seek re-employment if they temporarily lose work authorization, and have the option to bargain additional protections with their employers if immigration laws change. International workers have also won the right to have employers notify union representatives if they learn of an immigration investigation being conducted against a member of the bargaining unit.

How have UAW members fought back against threats of funding cuts in the past?

The first Trump administration attempted to slash federal research funding in every budget it submitted to Congress. In response, UAW academic workers, including many international scholars, successfully rallied and lobbied to keep funding at fair levels.

This year, UAW has joined multiple lawsuits filed by State Attorneys General, the ACLU and other organizations to restore Federal research funding. On April 4th, a Massachusetts judge issued permanent injunctions halting some of the Trump administration’s attempts to freeze or cut funding.

How have UAW members responded to attacks on immigrants in the past?

UAW represents over 100,000 workers in higher education, including tens of thousands of international scholars. This gives international scholars a powerful voice in setting national policy, which we used to oppose attacks on immigrants during the first Trump administration.

In 2017, the UAW International filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court challenging the Trump administration’s travel ban, as academic workers, including international scholars, rallied at airports around California to protest the ban. In 2018, international workers in California and Washington worked with Congressional Representatives Judy Chu and Pramila Jayapal on a Dear Colleague letter demanding that Secretary of State Pompeo restore the validity period of Chinese international students’ entry visas from 12 months back to 60 months. In 2020, UAW academic workers mobilized against a proposed rule by ICE to shorten visa stays for international scholars; thousands of public comments were submitted, including by the President of the UAW International. 

Will protesting funding cuts and immigration restrictions make a difference?

Yes. Academic workers have defeated Trump's attacks before and we can do it again. By working together through our union, academic workers have a strong political voice to lobby legislators and shape policy, as well as the ability to mount legal challenges to unlawful actions by the administration. In order for these efforts to succeed, it is critical that as many academic workers as possible demonstrate our support for research funding and fair immigration policy, by joining as union members and coming together for peaceful rallies, such as the Kill the Cuts day of action that UAW members organized on April 8.

Could I get arrested for going to a rally or peaceful demonstration?

Arrests at peaceful union sanctioned rallies are extremely rare, unless individuals have chosen in advance to intentionally participate in planned civil disobedience.

What are my due process rights?

Regardless of your visa, residency, or family status, once in the US you have the same due process rights as a domestic scholar, which means you cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without the chance to defend yourself in fair legal proceedings. Additionally, you have the right to a lawyer to assist you and the right to remain silent if questioned by law enforcement.

Who can I call if I need help?

Our union has set up a hotline to quickly refer members facing an immigration emergency to legal resources. In the event that you are experiencing an unexpected change in immigration status or any other immigration-related emergency, please call this number: 888-416-2110. You will be referred to an immigration attorney who has agreed to assist UAW academic workers and with whom you can have a legally privileged conversation about details of your situation.

This is a rapidly changing situation, so please check back regularly for any updates.

Last page update: April 25, 2025