A federal appeals court has reversed the dismissal of a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of individuals caught up in a sting operation that used a phony university called the University of Northern New Jersey.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed a U.S. District Court ruling dismissing a class action suit filed on behalf of students whose visas were revoked because they claimed to be enrolled in the nonexistent university. The appeals court rejected the trial judge’s findings that the case was not ripe for review and that there had been no final decision by the government.