International Student and Scholar Services

Contributing to Comprehensive Internationalization

Crisis Management

Office Administration

Orientation, Retention, and Student Services Programming

Student and Scholar Advising

Resources on Initiatives Under the Second Trump Administration

NAFSA Resources Letters, statements, and memoranda NAFSA Decries DHS Proposal to End D/S as a 'Gross Governmental Overreach'. August 27, 2025. In response to DHS's proposed rule that would eliminate the current “duration of status” (D/S) system for international students (F status) and exchange

A Brief History of F-1 Duration of Status

NAFSA compiled this brief timeline showing the history of F-1 “duration of status” (D/S) as background and context for discussions about duration of status. "INS" refers to the legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service. Effective 01/01/1979 – 43 FR 54618 (11/22/1978); proposed at 43 FR 32306 (7

International Student & Scholar Offboarding Checklist

Resource by 2024 NAFSA KC ISSS Leaders Catherine Lee (University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire) Adria Buncal (Oregon State University) Ashley Simmons Coffey (Flagler College) Andrea Pietrzyk (Vanderbilt University) This resource was created to aid efforts to offboard international students and scholars

New URL to Access SEVIS Production Environment

The new URL for accessing the SEVIS production environment is https://sevis.ice.gov. A System Note on the SEVIS login page states: " IMPORTANT: The SEVIS Production environment and URL migration was successful. You should begin using https://sevis.ice.gov for SEVIS Production access." In Broadcast

Agency Actions Under the Second Trump Administration

Beginning January 20, 2025 this NAFSA page will link to agency actions during the second Trump administration that relate to international education, including proposed federal regulations, final regulations, and agency policy documents and statements. Federal agencies are part of the Executive

USCIS Final Rule on H-1B Modernization and F-1 Cap-Gap Flexibility

On December 18, 2024, USCIS published a final rule titled Modernizing H-1B Requirements, Providing Flexibility in the F-1 Program, and Program Improvements Affecting Other Nonimmigrant Workers. The rule became effective 30 days later, on January 17, 2025. Read the final rule published at 89 FR

Immigration and Visa Implications of First Amendment Activity by International Students and Scholars

December 6, 2024

International students and scholars are protected by the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which among other things prohibits Congress from making a law “abridging the freedom of speech… or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” However, activity on and off campus that results in

Archive - Immigration Executive Actions Under the First Trump Administration

Below for reference are listed certain executive and agency actions affecting higher education immigration under the first Trump administration (January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021). Bolter, Jessica, Emma Israel, and Sarah Pierce. Four Years of Profound Change: Immigration Policy during the Trump

2024 Exchange Visitor Skills List

The Department of State's (DOS) 2024 Revised Exchange Visitor Skills List became effective on December 9, 2024, and applies to exchange visitors who acquire J-1 status on or after December 9, 2024, and exchange visitors who had been subject to INA 212(e) on the skills list basis under a prior list