The AAMC submitted a Sept. 29 comment letter (PDF) strongly opposing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) proposed rule to eliminate Duration of Status (D/S) for most F, J, and I visa holders. Under the longstanding D/S policy, these visa holders, primarily international students including PhD researchers, resident physicians, and postdoctoral scholars, are permitted to remain in the United States for the full length of their academic or training program. The DHS proposal would replace this system with a fixed-term visa, capped at four years, tied to the length of the individual’s program. Visa holders needing additional time would be required to file for an extension of status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, creating new layers of cost, delay, and uncertainty.
In its letter, the AAMC emphasized the significant drawbacks of this proposed shift, particularly the administrative and financial burden it would impose on international learners, the institutions that train them, and American taxpayers. The strength of the current D/S policy is the flexibility it provides, which allows medical trainees and research scholars to complete their programs without interruption, while maintaining exceptionally low rates of misuse. In addition to these comments, the AAMC joined several groups in various sign-on letters expressing concerns with the proposal [refer to related story].
- Washington Highlights