By Rut Labrada, Arts and Entertainment Editor

A new immigration policy restricting duration of stay for international students has sparked concern among VSU students and community members.

The policy, enforced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), went into effect on Sept. 15, affecting all universities in the country.

According to the DHS, the new policy seeks to end the abuse of visas by foreign students.

“Since 1978, foreign students have been admitted into the U.S. for an unspecified period, enabling thousands to become ‘forever students’ by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid departure,” reads the DHS website.

The issue has caused concern on a national level, and on Oct. 5, the Association of American Universities, alongside other educational organizations, filed a lawsuit against the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the DHS, and the Department of Justice in response to the policy change.

The organizations are calling for a reversal of this policy, stating that it will have negative consequences for the country.

The regulation placed a cap on how long international students could stay in the country, limiting it to only the length of their specific program, not to exceed four years.

If a student were to have to extend their stay, they would have to apply with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and pay a $400 fee for the extension or return to their home country and then receive a new period of admission from US Customs and Border Protection.

Prior to this change, international students on an F1 visa had the opportunity to stay for 12 months after the end of their program to find jobs or receive practical training in their field.

Now, that extra time does not exist, which has caused concern in the VSU community.

Dr. Irina McClellan, assistant director of international programs, expressed that the 12-month stay opportunity was an important factor that helped VSU graduates find work.

“This might have a lasting impact on international students in the United States,” said Dr. McClellan. “If it’s going to be that much more difficult for them to get jobs and get practical experience, they might choose to go somewhere else.”

The policy also restricts international students from changing their majors, preventing undergraduate students from doing so in their first year and graduate students from changing programs at all.

The increased scrutiny from the DHS has caused stricter policies for other opportunities that international students might receive, barring international students from participating in off-campus internships.

The only exception to this is if the internship is required by their program of study, said Dr. McClellan.

One student feeling the effects of this policy change is senior theatre performance major Jeronimo Rico, an international student from Colombia.

As a theatre student, Rico participated in two off-campus internships, one at Wild Adventures and one at Texas Outdoor Musical, prior to the enforcement of this policy.

These opportunities were important, Rico said, because he was able to learn crucial skills that he would use in the future.

“I don’t really agree with these changes,” he said. “Part of that is because I see myself being affected by these, but also, I think us as foreigners just want to work and have equal opportunities just like everybody else. We already are the minority when it comes to applying to jobs; I don’t understand what the necessity is to get rid of us foreigners in most fields.”

VSU is currently not involved in the lawsuit against the DHS, but community members have continued to share their concerns about the topic.

“We’re doing everything we can to protect our students for sure, whether it’s advising them correctly in terms of when to file paperwork for different benefits or helping them with internships,” said. Dr. McClellan.