Latest Updates
- DHS Proposes Significant Expansion of Data Collected on Forms I-17 and I-20. DHS is proposing revisions to Forms I-17 and I-20 that would require schools to report more detailed information on ownership, programs of study, costs, and designated school officials, and to collect new data on students’ guardians, graduation dates, funding sources, instructional modes, and employment or training activities. See NAFSA's page.
- The DHS/ICE proposed rule to end "duration of status" for F, J, and I nonimmigrants was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025. Comments are due by September 29, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
- USCIS to Consider "Anti-Americanism," "Anti-Semitism," Other Factors in Immigration Benefit Requests. On August 19, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has expanded the types of benefit requests that receive social media vetting, adding reviews for "anti-American" and "antisemitic" activity to that vetting, stating that such activity will be "an overwhelmingly negative factor in any applicable case involving USCIS discretionary analysis." See NAFSA's page.
- Visa Bond Pilot Program. On August 5, 2025 the Department of State (DOS) will publish in the Federal Register a temporary final rule entitled Visa Bond Pilot Program. The rule establishes a one-year pilot program to test a $5K, $10K, or $15K bond system for select B‑1/B‑2 applicants from countries with high overstay rates or other conditions. Malawi and Zambia are the first two countries to be designated under the pilot, effective August 20, 2025. See NAFSA's page.
- CBP Guidance to Airlines on Male and Female Sex Markers. In a July 8, 2025 Carrier Liaison Program Bulletin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) instructed airlines (international carriers) that they must submit "M" or "F" in the sex field of the pre-departure information they transmit to to CBP through the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), even if the traveler's passport contains a sex indicator other than M or F or does not otherwise indicate the sex of the traveler. See NAFSA's page.
NAFSA Statements and Commentary
NAFSA Decries DHS Proposal to End D/S as a 'Gross Governmental Overreach'
NAFSA CEO, Fanta Aw said in response, "Shifting from a ‘duration of status’ policy to a fixed expiration date is a bad idea for an administration that prides itself on advancements in efficiencies and ‘America First.’ These changes will only serve to force aspiring students and scholars into a sea of administrative delays at best, and at worst, into unlawful presence status—leaving them vulnerable to punitive actions through no fault of their own."
NAFSA: U.S. Economy Could Lose $7 Billion Due to International Student Enrollment Decline
Preliminary projections by NAFSA and JB International reveal that recent actions such as visa bans and disruptions in visa interviews and processing could have a devastating effect on U.S. local economies.
NAFSA Responds to DHS Threats Against Harvard, OPT
"Revoking an institution’s ability to enroll international students and threatening to dismantle OPT are ill-conceived attacks on high-functioning systems and programs," said Fanta Aw, NAFSA CEO. "International students are not bargaining chips—they are scholars, researchers, and contributors to our communities whose presence strengthens U.S. higher education and society. We turn global talent away at our own expense."
Key Executive and Regulatory Actions
Government Funding, Staffing, and Operations
The president's draft fiscal 2026 "skinny" budget proposes a 93 percent reduction in funding for State Department Educational and Cultural Exchanges, effectively dismantling the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and its programs. Urge Congress to defend and fund federal international education and exchange programs.
Antisemitism Related
An April 9 DHS news release says that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services "will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. This guidance is effective immediately."
Vetting and Enforcement
The Department of State (DOS) announced that it finally issued the expected "new guidance" on social media vetting, and that consulates will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa appointments. It includes information on how consular officers should screen the social media and online presence of applicants applying for F, M, and J visas, and factors the consulates should consider as they resume scheduling student visa interviews
Related Resources
2025 Policy Digest
A chronological compilation of U.S. government policy and regulatory developments and related advocacy activities, updated on a monthly basis.
Connecting Our World
Connecting Our World is NAFSA's weekly newsletter that distills the top policy and regulatory developments affecting international education and identifies how members of the field can use their voice to take action in simple but meaningful ways.
Helpful Resources
Helpful resources from NAFSA and others on initiatives under the Second Trump Administration