Immigration and International Students
Section 1 Content
ACE advocates for comprehensive immigration reform that would support undocumented students who were brought to the United States as young children, as well as talented international students who would like to remain in this country following the completion of their studies here—particularly those with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees. The federal Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which ACE has supported since it was first introduced in 2001, would provide such students an expedited path to citizenship if they accomplish academic goals or serve in our military. ACE also supports reforms of the non-immigrant visa process, particularly the H-1B visa, which would enhance our nation’s recruitment and retention of highly skilled international students and employees.
Comments to USCIS on Proposed Fee Increases
Comments from ACE, on behalf of 20 other organizations, to USCIS opposing proposed increases to benefit request fees that would adversely affect international students and skilled workers at colleges and universities.
Letter in Support of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act
ACE, on behalf of 14 other higher education associations, sent this letter to Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Wicker in support of their newly reintroduced bill to strengthen programs that expand study abroad opportunities to a broader range of students.
Letter to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee for Hearing on Immigration and Higher Education
Testimony for the record to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety for the June 14 hearing on “Strengthening our Workforce and Economy through Higher Education and Immigration.”
DACA Is Now 10 Years Old. What Does the Future Hold?
June 15 marks 10 years since President Barack Obama announced an executive memorandum creating DACA, an initiative that has provided some protection and work authorization for over 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Biden Administration Extends Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians in the U.S.
The Biden administration has announced that it will allow Ukrainians who are in the United States as of March 1 to remain in the country for 18 months under a designation known as Temporary Protected Status.
Letter to State and DHS Requesting Support for Ukrainian Students and Scholars
Letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting flexibility and support for Ukrainian students and scholars currently in the United States, and for students and scholars seeking to leave Ukraine during the cu...
Comments to the State Department on Proposed Visa Fee Increases
Comments in response the State Department notice of proposed rulemaking regarding proposed adjustments to the fees for processing several nonimmigrant visa applications, including F-1
student visas and J-1 exchange visitors.
DHS, State Announce Regulatory Changes to Attract More International Students and Scholars
The White House has announced a number of positive changes to programs for international students and scholars in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Biden Administration Revises Regulations to Ease Entry for International Students
In good news for international students, the Department of State announced before the holiday break that consular offices would have more flexibility in determining non-immigrant intent for F-1 and M-1 student visa applicants
Higher Education Organizations Call for Federal Support of International Students
ACE and seven other organizations issued a statement urging the federal government to engage in efforts with the higher education community to return international student enrollment to pre-pandemic numbers and support policies that encourage growth.
Request for Visa Flexibility for Afghan Students and Scholars
Letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken asking for flexibility in the F-1 and J-1 visa process for students and scholars who have been displaced by the current crisis in Afghanistan.
Comments on Proposed Rulemaking for Public Charge
Comments to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in response to Department of Homeland Security's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on developing a new proposal for the public charge rule.
ACE, Higher Ed Groups Urge Flexibility for International Students as COVID-19 Travel Ban Is Lifted
ACE and other higher education associations are calling on the administration and the CDC to make the Biden administration's new travel policy flexible enough to accommodate students and scholars from countries where the vaccine is not widely available.
Higher Ed Associations Release Resource Kit on Aiding Afghan Students and Scholars
ACE, in collaboration with other higher education associations, has put together a resource kit to help colleges and universities ensure that necessary structures and support networks are in place to welcome Afghan students and scholars.
Flexibility Needed for International Students and Scholars Under New Travel Policy
Letter to the White House coordinator of the COVID-19 response and the CDC urging flexibility on vaccines for international students and scholars under the Biden administration's new travel policy that goes into effect in November 2021.
Letter to Congress About Support for Afghan Students and Scholars
Letter from ACE and other higher education associations to leaders in the House and Senate requesting specific policies and funding to support Afghan students and scholars displaced by the current crisis in their country.
Biden Administration Outlines Policies to Support International Education; Travel to the U.S. Begins to Ease for International Students
Amid reports of an uptick in international student visa approvals for the fall, the departments of Education and State released a joint statement affirming the value of international education to U.S. diplomacy, national security, and economic prosperity.
Letter to State Department on NIE Travel Restrictions
ACE and other associations request clarification on the.national interest exemption for students and other academics from countries under current COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Biden Administration Withdraws Trump Rule on International Student Visas
The Department of Homeland Security has formally withdrawn the Trump administration’s proposed rule that would impose a fixed duration of admission for international students and restore “duration of status.”
Letter to State Department on Presidential Proclamation Suspending Entry of Students and Researchers From China
As the start of the fall semester approaches these students and their sponsoring U.S. colleges and universities are becoming increasingly concerned that a broad application of Presidential Proclamation 10043 is causing unnecessary delays.
Comments to USCIS on Reducing Administrative Burdens for Foreign Citizens
Comments to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in response to request for information on on how the agency can reduce administrative and other barriers and burdens within its regulations and policies.
Biden Administration Moves to Make It Easier for Most International Students to Come to the U.S. This Fall
The Biden administration has started to address issues around student visas for international students and scholars wishing to come to the United States this fall.
Key Immigration Priorities for the Higher Education Community in 2021
These key priorities will help guide the higher education community’s consideration of proposed immigration legislation as we work to modernize our immigration system.
Letter to State and DHS Requesting Support for International Students in Fall 2021
Letter to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas asking that the agencies act now to make it possible for international students to travel to the United States for the fall 2021 semester.
Comprehensive Immigration Legislation Would Provide Protection for Dreamers, Support for International Students
The U.S. Citizenship Act, a sweeping immigration bill that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for millions of immigrants already in the country and provide an even faster track for Dreamers, was introduced Feb. 18.
Letter to Senate Leadership in Support of the Dream Act 2021
The Dream Act would allow some undocumented young people, who have already invested in our country and in whom the country has already invested, to earn lawful permanent residence in the United States and ultimately a path to full citizenship.
Higher Education Priorities for Department of Homeland Security
Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas discussing issues of importance to the higher education community that are relevant to his new role in the Biden administration.
Letter to Acting Secretary of Education on Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds
ACE and other higher ed associations ask for clarification that emergency relief funds in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 can be used to help all students, including undocumented and international students.
Letter to Secretary of State on Supporting International Students
Letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on initial actions his department can take to help support international students and restore the United States as a destination of choice for global students and scholars.
Letter to DHS on OPT Work Authorization Application Delays
Recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security on how the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can best extend flexibility to Optional Practical Training (OPT) applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Request for Spring 2021 Guidance for International Students and Scholars
Letter to the Department of Homeland Security from ACE and over 30 other higher education associations seeking guidance for international students and exchange visitors during the continuing COVID-19 crisis.
Comments on Trump Administration's Proposed Changes to the H-1B Visa Process
Comments to the Department of Homeland Security
on a proposed rule to change the current lottery process used to award H-1B visas and prioritize the awarding of H-1Bs based on corresponding wage levels.
Executive Action Priorities for Higher Education Under the Biden Administration
Letter to the Biden-Harris transition team on the Trump administration's executive actions of concern to students, educators, and institutions that could be reversed by the Biden administration.
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on the Institute of International Education’s 2020 Fall International Enrollment Survey
The Institute of International Education’s finding of such a steep decline in the number of international students attending U.S. colleges and universities this fall is staggering but, unfortunately, not surprising.
IIE Report Shows Steep Decline in Number of International Students Attending U.S. Colleges and Universities
The Institute of International Education (IIE) released its Fall 2020 Enrollment Snapshot showing a 43 percent decrease in international student enrollment at U.S. institutions this fall.
Comments on the Trump Administration's Interim Final Rule on H-1B Visas
Comments from ACE and 32 other higher education associations to the Department of Homeland Security on the Trump administration's interim final rule on “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program.”
ACE, Higher Ed Groups Submit Amicus Briefs Opposing New H-1B Visa Rules
ACE and 23 other higher education associations have filed briefs supporting a pair of legal challenges to new Trump administration rules restricting H-1B visas for highly skilled workers.
Amicus Brief: Supporting Lawsuit in DC District Court Against Trump Administration's Proposed H1-B Rule
ACE and 23 other associations filed this brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia supporting a lawsuit against the Department of Labor's proposed H1-B rule announced Oct. 8, 2020.
Amicus Brief: Supporting Lawsuit in Northern California District Court Against Trump Administration's Proposed H1-B Rule
ACE and 23 other associations filed this brief in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of California supporting a lawsuit against the departments of Labor and Homeland Security over the proposed H1-B rule announced Oct. 8, 2020.
Comments on Proposed Rule on International Student and Exchange Visitor Duration of Status
Comments to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
expressing strong opposition to the proposed rule “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Represe...
ACE, Other Associations Ask DHS to Withdraw Flawed Duration of Status Proposed Rule
ACE and over 80 other associations have submitted comments to the Department of Homeland Security expressing strong opposition to a proposed rule which creates a fixed duration of admission for international students and researchers on F or J visas.
Request to Extend Comment Period on Proposed Rule for Duration of Stay for International Students
Letter to Department of Homeland Security requesting an extension on the current 30-day comment period for the proposed rule on "duration of stay" for international students to a minimum of 60 days.
Summary of Proposed Rule on International Student "Duration of Status"
Summary and talking points on the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule on duration of status, which would create a fixed amount of time of authorized stay for students on F and J visas and members of the international media on I visas.
Trump Administration Seeks to Restrict Student Visas to a Strict Two- or Four-Year Timeframe
The Department of Homeland Security has published a proposed rule that would create a fixed amount of time of authorized stay for students on F and J visas and members of the international media on I visas.
Request to Congress to Protect International Student Visas Under the National Defense Authorization Act
Letter to the House and Senate Armed Services and Judiciary committees in support of Sec. 1763 of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which would allow international students to study online until the end of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Associations, Lawmakers Call on Administration to Clarify Policy on Allowing International Students Into the Country
ACE and three other major higher education associations sent a letter to the Bureau of Consular Affairs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection asking for clarification that international students can safely travel to begin school this fall.
Letter to Homeland Security and Consular Affairs on Visa Guidance
Letter to Homeland Security and the Bureau of Consular Affairs asking for assurance that international students can safely travel to begin the academic term this fall.
Trump Administration Will Reject New DACA Applications While Deciding Future of the Program
The Trump administration announced that it will reject new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, despite a federal judge’s order that said new applicants must be considered.
Letter to DHS on ICE Directive for International Students
Letter from ACE and other higher education associations to the Department of Homeland Security asking for clarification on the the withdrawn Immigration and Customs Enforcement directive and the status of international students.
Trump Administration Withdraws Directive Banning International Students
The Trump administration has rescinded its directive that said international students could not legally stay in the United States if they were taking all their classes online.
ACE, Higher Education Groups File Brief in Support of Challenge to ICE Directive on International Students
ACE and 70 other higher education associations filed a brief supporting a legal challenge to the Trump administration’s new directive that prohibits international students from remaining in the US if their colleges hold courses online-only this fall.
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Rescission of ICE Directive
The Trump administration has rescinded its rule on international students studying online. Read ACE President Ted Mitchell's statement on this development, which is the best possible outcome for colleges and students.
Amicus Brief: President and Fellows of Harvard College and MIT v. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, et al
Amicus brief from ACE and 70 other higher education associations supporting the first of several legal challenges to the Trump administration’s new directive that prohibits international students from remaining in the U.S. if their colleges hold course...
Request to DHS to Withdraw ICE Guidance on International Students
Letter from ACE and 80 other associations to Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, asking him to withdraw the recent guidance issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding international students and the upcoming 2020-21 academic year.
New ICE Guidance Bans International Students From Online-Only Instruction
ICE has issued new guidance that would prohibit international students from returning to or remaining in the United States if their colleges adopt an online-only instruction model for the fall, a move ACE President Ted Mitchell called "horrifying."
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on ICE Guidance on International Students
The new guidance from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raises more questions than it answers and unfortunately appears to do more harm than good.
Letter to the State Department and DHS on Guidance for International Students
Letter to the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security requesting guidance on international students for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Trump Administration Suspends Issuing New H-1B, Other Visas Until Next Year
President Trump has signed an executive order to suspend new H-1B, L-1, and other non-immigrant work visas for through the end of the year, along with an extension of the freeze on green cards for new immigrants.
Remember the Dreamers: Groups Launch New Website to Support Dreamers, DACA Recipients
ACE and a coalition of partners have launched a new website to support Dreamers and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as they await the Supreme Court’s decision on whether President Trump illegally ended DACA in 2017.
ACE, Other Groups Highlight Importance of International Students as Agencies Respond to Trump’s Immigration Order
ACE and 62 other associations have offered to assist the departments of Labor, Homeland Security, and State in the review of non-immigrant programs mandated by President Trump's recent executive order on immigration.
Letter on President Trump's Immigration Executive Order
Letter to the secretaries of State, Homeland Security, and Labor about President Trump's recent executive order on immigration, specifically on the section that calls for an examination of and recommendations regarding non-immigrant programs.
Request to State Department for Guidance for International Students During the Pandemic
Letter to Secretary Mike Pompeo seeking further guidance from the Department of State guidance for international students and scholars during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Letter Requesting Additional Guidance on Coronavirus for International Students
Letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf requesting additional guidance for international students and scholars on U.S. campuses in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
CDC Issues Coronavirus Guidance for Foreign Programs and Domestic Campuses
In light of the coronavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control has recommended that colleges and universities “consider" postponing or canceling foreign exchange programs and asking students on study abroad programs to return to the United States.
Proposed Visa Fee Increases Would Discourage International Students and Scholars From Coming to the United States
In recent comments to USCIS, ACE and seven other higher education associations warned warned that the Trump administration’s proposed increases in immigration fees would “reinforce a troubling message” to international students and scholars.
Comments to USCIS on Proposed Increases to Visa Fees
From ACE and seven other higher education associations to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding the proposed increase to certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees.
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Legality of Trump Administration’s Move to End DACA
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 12 on whether President Trump’s decision to rescind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy was done legally.
ACE, 43 Other Associations Submit Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Uphold the Legality of DACA
Background on an amicus brief ACE and 43 higher education associations submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.
Hundreds of Colleges and Universities Sign Letter Urging Congressional Action to Protect Dreamers
More than 600 colleges and universities have signed a letter urging Congress act now to pass long overdue bipartisan legislation providing permanent protection for Dreamers.
House Democrats Renew Effort to Protect Dreamers, DACA Recipients
House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled the latest version of the Dream Act, an effort to provide permanent legal protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to this country illegally as children.
Trump Administration Releases Final Public Charge Rule
The Trump administration has finalized its plan to overhaul how the government evaluates whether an individual from another country, either already in the United States or seeking to come here, is “not likely to be a public charge.”
Letter to House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship on Visa Delays
Letter from ACE President Ted Mitchell to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship in advance of the July 16 hearing on USCIS visa delays.
Supreme Court to Review DACA Policy Protecting Young Undocumented Immigrants
The Supreme Court will review the Trump administration's decision to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in its October term.
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Supreme Court Decision to Take Up DACA
The Supreme Court will hear three DACA cases this fall. However, there remains an urgent need for Congress to pass a long-term legislative solution for Dreamers.
Letter Urging Senate to Pass Legislation to Protect Dreamers
Letter to Senate leadership requesting they make legislation to permanently protect Dreamers a priority.
House Approves Dream Act, Sending Bill to Senate
The measure would give young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children a pathway to citizenship.
Letter to House on American Dream and Promise Act
Letter to House leadership in support of the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6).
House Democrats Renew Effort to Protect Dreamers, DACA Recipients
House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled the latest version of the Dream Act, an effort to provide permanent legal protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to this country illegally as children.
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