International students studying in the United States, including thousands from India, have been advised by several universities to return to the country before September 15, ahead of major changes to US immigration rules for student and exchange visa.
The advisory precedes the coming implementation of a new Final Rule by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to replace the system of Duration of Status (D/S).
The new regulations will give F-1 student visa holders, J-1 exchange visitors and visas for foreign journalists a period of four years, rather than the duration of their academic programme, to stay in the US.
The rule will also shorten the period of grace after the end of studies from 60 days to 30 days, and mandate that students who apply for an extension must obtain approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) using Form I-539.
Students at universities like Columbia University have been encouraged to return before classes begin over the new immigration framework to prevent issues.
Students who were already in the US under the D/S system prior to September 15 will continue their studies until the DHS-approved OPT/STEM OPT end date or until the end of the program.
This protection, however, will still be bound by the new 4-year protection period overall, and will not be valid beyond 14 November 2030 (including the withdrawal period).
The new policy will impact hundreds of thousands of international students studying in the United States.