International Student and Scholar Services

Contributing to Comprehensive Internationalization

Crisis Management

Office Administration

Orientation, Retention, and Student Services Programming

Student and Scholar Advising

Resources to Assist in Preparing Public Comments on the Proposed OPT Fees Rule

This page serves to provide resources for higher education institutions submitting a comment letter regarding the proposal for OPT fees before the public comment deadline ends on November 9, 2026. It will be continuously updated. For more information, please visit NAFSA's page on the proposed rule

Elimination of D/S: Special Issues for Community Colleges

On September 10, NAFSA colleagues from community colleges held a collegial conversation to discuss how the elimination of "duration of status" (D/S) is impacting their institutions and offices and how they are adapting their operations to address the changes. The presenters were not able to answer

Who's Caring for International Educators?

September 22, 2026

September/October 2026 By Jeffrey Foot When I arrived in the United States from Canada in 2000 as an international graduate student after teaching English in South Korea for four years, I experienced firsthand how much international students rely on the guidance, encouragement, and steadying

Elimination of D/S: Special Issues for Quarter System Schools

On August 27, 2026, NAFSA colleagues from institutions on the quarter academic calendar system discussed how the elimination of “duration of status” (D/S) is impacting their institutions and offices and how they are adapting their operations to address the changes. The presenters were not able to

Elimination of D/S: Institutional Impacts and Adaptation

In this webinar, NAFSA colleagues from a variety of institution types discussed how the elimination of “duration of status” (D/S) is impacting their institutions and offices and how they are adapting their operations to address the changes. The presenters were not able to answer every question about

NAFSA Town Hall: Elimination of Duration of Status - Implications and Actions

On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published its final rule to end the Duration of Status (D/S) policy for F students and J exchange visitors and to impose new academic mobility restrictions on F-1 students. The rule takes effect on September 15, 2026. In this NAFSA Town Hall

Regulatory Perspectives: Final Rule Eliminating D/S and Imposing Academic Mobility Restrictions

On July 23, 2026, the NAFSA community came together for a discussion, led by NAFSA staff, of the final rule to eliminate “D/S” (duration of status) for F and J nonimmigrants and to impose new academic mobility restrictions on F-1 students. We compared the final rule to the proposed rule, highlighted

Strategic Partnerships in Scholar Advising: Leveraging Outside Legal Expertise

Examine how scholar advisors and outside immigration counsel collaborate to support international scholars and manage complex immigration cases. The discussion included cultivating effective working relationships, navigating the decision-making in complex cases, and how scholar advisors and outside

Collegial Conversation: Government Sessions Key Takeaways from the 2026 NAFSA Annual Conference

This webinar features NAFSA’s Current Issues Working Group and Knowledge Community for International Student and Scholar Services (KC ISSS) in a conversation about the Current Issues Sessions at the 2026 Annual Conference in Orlando. Presenters highlighted key takeaways from each session and

Collegial Conversation: Preparing for the Possibility of an ICE Enforcement Action on Campus

For the last year colleges across the country have been forced to grapple with the possibility that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials may initiate an enforcement action on campus. ICE has entered campus buildings and private spaces without judicial warrants and without any