FASEB Opposes DHS/ICE Proposal to Eliminate Duration of Status

By: CJ Neely
Thursday, October 9, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed significant changes to the F and J visa programs that would end the long-standing “duration of status” (D/S) policy. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would replace D/S with a fixed four-year maximum admission period, shorten the post-completion grace period, and require all extensions of stay to be processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). While DHS frames these changes as measures to improve compliance and security, FASEB cautioned that the proposal would discourage international scholars from pursuing training in the United States, increase administrative complexity, and undermine the nation’s research enterprise.

In its comments, FASEB highlighted that international scholars comprise more than 40 percent of doctoral students and nearly 60 percent of postdoctoral fellows in U.S. science and engineering programs. Most remain in the country after graduation to conduct research or work in STEM fields—directly advancing discovery, innovation, and contributing to the nation’s economy and global leadership.

This is not the first attempt to eliminate D/S. A similar proposal introduced during the Trump administration in 2020 faced strong opposition from the scientific, higher education, and business communities and was formally withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021. FASEB urged DHS to do the same now, calling on the agency to preserve the duration of status as a proven policy that supports compliance, innovation, and U.S. leadership in science and technology.