#f1 visa

Maanvi Singh at The Guardian:

Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University student who was detained by US immigration authorities last month, says she has had multiple asthma attacks since she was arrested and detained and has had difficulty getting medical attention. Öztürk, 30, was detained by masked, plainclothes officers as she walked in a Boston-area suburb on 25 March. A judge ordered that the Turkish national and doctoral student who was in the US on an F-1 student visa cannot be deported without a court order. But she remains detained at the South Louisiana Ice processing center in Basile. On Thursday, Öztürk’s attorneys asked the federal court in Vermont to release her – or to move her from Louisiana to Vermont – while her case is heard. In a declaration filed by her lawyers, she said that while at the Louisiana facility, she faced delays getting care for an asthma attack and was initially refused access to fresh air. When she was eventually taken to the medical center, she says a nurse told her to take off her hijab. When Öztürk refused, she said, the nurse ripped off her hijab without permission. “After a few minutes I put my hijab back on. But they did nothing to treat my asthma and gave me a few ibuprofen,” she said. In her declaration, Öztürk said that her holding cell is crowded beyond capacity and the unsanitary, damp conditions trigger her asthma. “The conditions in the facility are very unsanitary, unsafe, and inhumane,” she said. “There is a mouse in our cell. The boxes they provide for our clothing are very dirty and they don’t give us adequate hygiene supplies.” Öztürk is not the first to raise concerns about the conditions in the South Louisiana Ice processing center. In an August 2024 report by immigration advocates based on facility visits and interviews with detainees, dozens of women held at the center reported being denied medical care and offered rotten food.

Their pain is palpable. I can't even think of anything to say, besides sign this petition.

This has already reached its goal but I honestly don't know what else to do to help...if anyone has more suggestions add them in.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that international students attending U.S. universities which go online-only for classes this year due to COVID-19 MUST LEAVE THE UNITED STATES or transfer to a college with in-person classes.

Students should not have to choose between their health and completing their degree programs.

1. International students make up about 5% of the entire U.S. college enrollment and contribute BILLIONS of dollars annually to the U.S. economy.

2. It's already July and classes typically start in August. It will be difficult (if not impossible), cost prohibitive, and potentially unsafe for students to enroll in a new university

US Student Visa: The "No Expiration Date" Era Ends September 15, 2026

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If you're on an F-1 student visa, or planning to be, this one matters.

DHS published a final rule on July 17, 2026 eliminating "Duration of Status" (D/S) for F-1 students. It takes effect September 15, 2026.

What D/S meant

Your I-94 said "D/S" instead of a date. As long as you maintained student status, you could stay. No extension filings. Ever.

What changes

Fixed admission period: up to the program end date on your I-20, capped at 4 years

Plus 30 days for departure preparation

Post-completion grace period: 60 days to 30 days

Program extensions now require Form I-539 filed with USCIS by the student, not just an I-20 extension by the school

Undergrads: no transfers or major changes in the first year

Grad students: no major changes mid-program as a general rule

English language programs (ESL): 24 months aggregate limit

If you're already in the US

There's a transition provision. Students currently in D/S can stay through the end date on their current I-20, capped at November 14, 2030.

But here's the trap: if you leave and re-enter on or after September 15, 2026, the new rule applies immediately. Check your dates before you book that flight home.

OPT relief

Students in D/S on the effective date who properly file for OPT or STEM OPT by March 18, 2027 don't need a separate extension of stay filing.

Sources

Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/17/2026-14439/establishing-a-fixed-time-period-of-admission-and-an-extension-of-stay-procedure-for-nonimmigrant

DHS Study in the States: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/elimination-of-duration-of-status-quick-facts

USCIS Form I-539: https://www.uscis.gov/i-539

Check your I-94: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/

Applying for a US student visa can feel like a maze, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you are prepping for your interview or just starting to gather your documents, having a clear roadmap is the #1 way to avoid delays (or rejection).

I’ve compiled the ultimate guide to the F1 process, covering everything you need to know to move your application forward with confidence:

✅ The Core Requirements: What you actually need to qualify. ✅ The Document Checklist: From Form I-20 to financial proofs. ✅ Interview Secrets: How to answer confidently and honestly. ✅ Work Authorization: The truth about CPT and OPT.

There are concerns that this increase in fees may have a negative impact on innovations in the US. On the other hand, people in the Trump administration believe that this policy change may lead to a notably higher recruitment of American workers by the industry. My sense is that none of these may happen in a notable way. However there could be certain unintended consequences.  It is obvious that…