US education groups slam DHS rule ending 'duration of status' for int'l students
US higher education groups are criticizing a new Department of Homeland Security rule that ends the 'Duration of Status' policy for international students. The rule replaces indefinite stay periods with fixed terms, requiring students to seek government approval for academic changes or program extensions.
Why it matters
This policy shift could deter international talent from choosing US universities by increasing bureaucratic hurdles and uncertainty for students and scholars.
Two leading US higher education organizations have strongly condemned the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) final rule ending the long-standing "Duration of Status" (D/S) policy for international students and exchange visitors, warning that it will create unnecessary bureaucracy, undermine academic decision-making and make the US less attractive to global talent.The final rule eliminates the D/S framework for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors. Under the existing system, international students and exchange visitors could remain in the US for as long as they maintained their academic or exchange status. It is being replaced with fixed periods of admission f(our years with shorter tenure in certain cases such as for English language students), requiring students and scholars whose programmes extend beyond the prescribed period to apply to DHS for extensions of stay.
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