Greetings from the Office of International Education!

We hope that you are in good health and spirits and the fall 2020 term is off to a great start. Our office is writing to share important news regarding proposed F and J nonimmigrant status regulatory policy change. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on September 25, 2020 a proposed rule that would eliminate duration of status (D/S) and replace it with date-specific status end dates.

What does this mean?
It means you will have an end date on your new I-94 card of no more than two years later. While this change would not prevent you from completing your educational objectives, if passed, it may entail a need for additional paperwork and filing to extend your status through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). (Students currently studying in the U.S. would transition from duration of status to an end date matching the end of the Form I-20.)

What is UW-Stout doing to challenge the rule?
We do not support this policy and are making our objections known via the submission of formal comments during the 30-day public comment period. It is important to note that you have tremendous support. Our Office, the University of Wisconsin-Stout, the University of Wisconsin System, and the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Justice are all united in opposition to the proposed rule. Additionally, members of Congress are voicing their concern to the new rule as well. We strongly believe that the current duration of status (D/S) policy fulfills its intended goal and is not in need of revision.

How can I learn more?
Since the ramifications of this rule would potentially impact our current and future students, we are holding a question and answer session next Tuesday, October 20, 2020, from 4 to 5 pm. Access the MS Teams meeting here. Please send us any questions or concerns in advance of this meeting and we will be sure to address them during the session. Questions and comments should be sent to globaled@uwstout.edu. Note that we will record the meeting and send you a link to view it if that time is not convenient.

When would this go into effect? What happens next?
From a procedural standpoint, nothing has been finalized at this point in time. When a policy change is proposed, it then goes to a public comment period. After the period ends, the government is obligated to respond to each and every comment. It could take several months for this to happen and to date there are more than 20,000 comments. With it being an election year, it is quite possible that a transition to new presidential leadership could cancel the pending policy update if it hasn’t yet been enacted, or another policy change could be submitted to reverse the rule by a new administration.

It is important to know that, at this time, the rule change is not law. It is also important to know that we are fiercely advocating against this proposed change and are committed to keeping you informed as to the status of the rule change.

In addition to the meeting next week, feel free to reach out to us at any time to connect on this topic.

Warm regards,

Scott & Danielle