Proposed Maximum Period of Authorized Stay for Student Visas
The Trump administration is proposing to replace the current duration of status for a maximum time for authorized stay for F-1 and other nonimmigrant visas. The set target date for this new rule is September 2019.
This new rule would severely impact international student mobility, competition, the economy and communities. NAFSA is urging our community to make our voices heard and fight back against this proposed change. Below is their action list as well as a letter from NAFSA's Vice President for Public Policy & Practice, Bonnie Bissonette.
1. Â As we gear up to fight against the Trump Administration plan, please forward the message below from NAFSA's Vice President for Public Policy & Practice, Bonnie Bissonette, to your federal relations officer or government affairs professional on your campus. Let him or her know that you can be a resource on this duration of status issue. Please reach out to me if you need support on this.
2. Â Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Judy Chu (CA-27) are circulating a sign on letter to Secretary Pompeo regarding the U.S. State Department policy that decreases the visa validity from 5 years to 1 year for some Chinese students, making us less competitive and less welcoming. Please share this letter with your federal relations officer or government affairs professional on your campus as well and urge them to ask your institution's Member of Congress to sign on by October 26. Then, using our easy email tool, you can personally urge your Representative to sign on to this letter.
3. Â Register for Advocacy Day 2019. Registration is now open, and educating the next Congress about the importance of protecting international student and scholar mobility will be one of our top priorities. Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance if you want to help fight back.
As you may have heard, an alarming notice came out today from the U.S. Administration about regulatory changes proposed for the coming year. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is developing a proposed rule that would fundamentally change the way students and scholars are admitted to the United States, by replacing the policy in place for decades of the duration of status (D/S) admission period with "a maximum period of authorized stay, and options for extensions, for each applicable visa category."
According to the description in the Fall 2018 Regulatory Agenda that was published on October 17, 2018, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has set a Fall 2019 target date for publishing a proposed rule that solicits public comment, and so we have time to advocate against it. If finalized, it would have a significantly damaging effect on students, scholars, our institutions, and our communities. The rationale for this proposed change is based on inaccurate DHS statistics that exaggerate the number of international students who overstay their visas. At a time when the United States risks losing ground in a global competition for talent, a change of this magnitude would create uncertainty for students and scholars about whether they would be able to complete their programs in the United States, subject students to inadvertently accruing unlawful presence, and add significant unnecessary burdens on USCIS and higher education institutions, all with no added security benefit.
WE MUST UNITE IN OPPOSING THIS CHANGE!
In response, NAFSA is actively mobilizing to engage our allies on the Hill and in the higher education, business, foreign policy, and immigration communities to oppose this proposed change. As advocates, you can help!
We will be in touch through Connecting Our World with updates and will organize a conference call in the coming weeks to discuss how this will impact our field and how you can help defeat this proposal. Be sure you are signed up for action alerts at www.connectingourworld.org and add [email protected] to your contacts to avoid our messages getting trapped in your spam folder.
Also, NAFSA's regulatory practice team is monitoring the issue closely and will notify members through www.nafsa.org/reginfo when more information is available about this and other proposed changes.
Director, Education Abroad and International Safety
Center for Global Education Initiatives
University of Maryland, Baltimore
and Vice President for Public Policy and Practice, Board of Directors (2017-2019)
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
Post by Jennifer Privette, Editor & Assistant Publisher at Study in the USA
