Crown Princess Elisabeth has received her student visa and will be able to continue her studies at Harvard University in the United States. The news that the woman that is first in line to the Belgian throne will be able to return to Havard in September is reported in Tuesday’s edition of the Francophone daily ‘Le Soir’. The visas for other Belgian students have also been renewed.
Crown Princess Elisabeth receives visa and will be able to return to the US to complete her master’s degree at Harvard
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It had been uncertain whether Crown Princess Elisabeth would be able to continue her master’s degree in public policy at Harvard. In May, the US President Donald Trump's administration announced that Harvard would no longer be allowed to admit foreign students.
The Trump administration had taken the measure after Harvard refused to provide the US authorities with information about the possible involvement of its students in protests against the war in Gaza. President Trump also believes that what he calls “elite universities” are not doing enough to protect Jewish students during protests against the conflict in Gaza.
Due to the measure, foreign students were unable to enroll for the new academic year. Some 6,800 international students were at risk of losing their residence visa for the US.
Harvard mounted a legal challenge and a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s measure to deny international students access to Harvard.
No preferential treatment
Student visas for other Belgian students at Harvard have been extended, including Crown Princess Elisabeth's.
The Royal Palace has always been keen to stress that it does not want Crown Princess Elisabeth to be given preferential treatment. It is unclear how many Belgian student visas have been extended and all Belgians that had a student visa have had their visa extended.