It's time to take action on the proposal to limit duration of status (D/S) for international students. We are currently working on language to assist our members to submit responses by October 26, 2020 on the Federal Register. However, there are other actions we can take RIGHT NOW. There is a Dear Colleague letter circulating in the House opposing the proposed new rule imposing fixed limits on int'l-student visas led by Reps. Debbie Dingell (MI) & Mark Pocan (WI). Please contact your Representative by phone or email by Close of Business Day on Monday,10/5 to express your concern. Here's a link to find your representative:https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
WRITE OR CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SUPPORT A DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER
(by the end of business day October 5, 2020)
Note the GREEN sections below that you need to edit based on your context.
Dear XXXXXXX
I started out thanking my Congressman, XXXXXX, for all XXXX support over the years and mentioned the impact of the loss of international students for our community, state and country and that the proposed changes in the current duration of status of F, J and I visa holders will continue to drive international students away from the U.S. and our community.
International students remain a key part of the higher education ecosystem. They enrich the higher education experience for all students and provide meaningful contributions to our country. The proposed rule places needless restrictions on these students and fundamentally threatens a cornerstone of our nation's higher education system.
Please consider signing onto the Dear Colleague letter (pasted below). If you have done so already, thank you for your support!
I signed with my position and the name of our school and copied the Dear Colleague letter below.
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TEXT OF DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER/REQUEST from Reps. Dingell and Pocan (followed by letter to be sent to DHS)
Deadline: COB Monday, October 5th
Co-signers:Dingell, Pocan
Dear Colleague:
On Friday, the Trump Administration announced a proposal rule to limit the duration of status for international student visas and place additional restrictions on student visas based on the individual’s country of origin. The change increases the uncertainty for these students by placing fixed term limits on their course of study, altering a proven system that offers flexibility for both four-year degrees and doctoral programs that may require additional time to complete.
International students remain a key part of the higher education ecosystem. Their contributions are critical to maintaining the United States' leadership in STEM fields and cutting-edge technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. These rules would threaten the hundreds of thousands of jobs supported by international students, as well as the tens of billions of dollars in economic activity that these students facilitate each year.
The changes place additional burdens on students and universities, and disincentivize prospective international students from attending U.S. institutions of higher education. Our letter requests that DHS rescind these changes and maintain the current duration of status policy.
If you have any additional questions or would like to sign on to the letter, please reach out to Tiger Ricchetti (tiger.ricchetti@mail.house.gov) in DebbieDingell’s office or Kate Huffman (kate.huffman@mail.house.gov) in Mark Pocan’s office.
Sincerely,
DebbieDingell Mark Pocan
Member of Congress Member of Congress
October XX, 2020
Dear Acting Secretary Wolf:
We are writing to express our concern regarding the September 25, 2020 proposed rule that would arbitrarilylimit international student visa lengths and place additional restrictions on student visas based on an individual’s country of origin. These changes in policy place additional burdens on students and universities, further disincentivizing prospective international students from attending U.S. institutions of higher education. International students are a critical part of colleges and universities across the country, and this proposed rule would undermine our nation’s leadership in higher education and research.
Currently, most international student visas are valid for the duration of status, which allows international students to remain in the United States if they remain enrolled in an institution of higher education while abiding by rules relevant to their immigration status. This proven system provides flexibility for both four-year degrees and doctoral programs that may require additional time to complete.
The proposed rule replaces this longstanding policy with a fixed, four-year visa. This would be further reduced to just two years for students who were born in Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria, regardless of their citizenship, as well as citizens of those countries. This rule also uses a flawed methodology to limit citizens of countries with certain visa overstay rates, disproportionately impacting students from countries that send smaller numbers of international students. Furthermore, the proposed rule would arbitrarily limit the number of times students can change programs at the same degree level and impose intrusive mandates that would allow Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to arbitrarily make determinations traditionally left to academic institutions.
These proposed changes, if enacted, would place at risk the academic careers of the over 1 million international students who attend U.S. institutes of higher education each year. These students play a fundamental role in our nation’s academic and campus life. Their contributions are critical to maintaining the United States’ leadership in STEM fields and cutting-edge technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. These rules would also threaten the hundreds of thousands of jobs supported by international students, as well as the tens of billions of dollars in economic activity that these students facilitate each year.
International students remain a key part of the higher education ecosystem. They enrich the higher education experience for all students and provide meaningful contributions to our country. The proposed rule places needless restrictions on these students and fundamentally threatens a cornerstone of our nation’s higher education system. With this mind, we urge you to rescind these changes to duration of status of F, J, and I visa holders and maintain the current duration of status policy.
We must ensure the United States welcomes and fosters international students who are vital to our economy and continue to provide meaningful contributions to research, culture, academic life, and our country.
Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your prompt response.