Current Students

Overview

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) has proposed changes to how long F-1 international students may remain in the United States. This proposal would replace the current “Duration of Status” (D/S) framework with a fixed period of authorized stay, significantly impacting students, exchange visitors, and their dependents.

What is “Duration of Status” (D/S)?

Under the current system, most F-1 students are admitted for “Duration of Status,” meaning they can stay in the U.S. as long as they:

• Maintain full-time enrollment in an approved academic program
• Comply with the rules of their visa status
• Make normal progress toward completing their degree

This flexible system allows students to complete their studies without needing to apply for extensions unless specific circumstances arise.

What is being proposed?

The proposed rule would eliminate the D/S model and instead admit F-1 students for a fixed period of up to 4 years for most students, and up to the current program end date or 4 years (whichever is shorter) for currently enrolled students at the time the rule goes into effect.

After this period, students would need to apply for an extension with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) if they have not completed their program.

Key implications for students

If implemented, the rule could:

• Require more frequent applications for extensions of stay
• Increase administrative burdens and filing costs
• Introduce uncertainty if extension requests are delayed or denied
• Affect long-term academic planning, especially for doctoral or research-based programs

Who might be most affected?

Students in longer academic programs, such as Ph.D. candidates, as well as those who experience program delays (e.g., due to research, internships, or unforeseen circumstances), may be particularly impacted.

Current status of the rule

As of now, this rule is proposed and has not been finalized. It has undergone public comment and review, and its future depends on regulatory decisions by the federal government.

What should students do?

• Stay informed through official sources such as U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Consult with your Principal Designated School Official (PDSO), Dr. Zamora
• Monitor updates from TWU’s International Student & Scholar Services office 
• Seek legal guidance if you have concerns about your status

Final thoughts

While the proposed change represents a significant shift in policy, it is important to remember that it is not yet in effect. International students should continue to follow current F-1 visa regulations and remain attentive to future updates.

For more information please view the Frequently Asked Questions on the International Student Resource Center website.

Campus Alliance for Resource Education

(940) 898-2789

The Campus Alliance for Resource Education (CARE) office is all about providing resources for students with needs such as food insecurity, child care, emergency resources, scholarship programs, and transportation resources.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Denton CAPS, (940) 898-3801,
• Houston CAPS, (713) 794-2059
• Dallas CAPS, (214) 689-6655

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides mental health services to enrolled students on all three TWU campuses. Their mission is to support the development of the whole person by fostering student resiliency, emotional wellbeing, interpersonal effectiveness, and academic success. 

Disability Services for Students

(940) 898-3835

Disability Services for Students (DSS) works with all people of the TWU community: faculty, staff, students, and guests, to provide accessibility and accommodations to TWU students that need it and to educate the overall TWU community on disability inclusion. They provide accommodations for both faculty and staff, everything from assistance for exams to campus resources. DSS also assists with having service animals on campus and provides a guide to doing so here: Guide to Animals on Campus

Student Health Services

(940) 898-3826

Student Health Services provides many health resources and services for students such as telehealth appointments, mental health resources, an on-campus medical staff, health promotion for presentations regarding student health, and resources for emergencies/after hours sites. For more information, see the SHS website.

Academic Testing Services

(940) 898-2961

The testing center offers proctored tests to students and members of the community who are wanting to take the CLEP, TSI, and Pearson VUE exams. If you need to take one of these tests, call the center or send an email to them to schedule an appointment. 

Career Connections Center

(940) 898-2950

The Career Connections Center provides students with many career preparedness resources such as one-on-one consultations with their career consultants, resume and cover letter prep, dress prep for job interviews, self-assessments to see your individual values as it relates to your career, career fairs, mock interviews, and other events to help you with anything you need to take the next step in your professional career! 

As international students are looking for CPT or OPT opportunities, you can work with a Career Connections consultant to help you with the skills listed above. However, Career Connections is not a job placement office, nor do they have all of the information needed to answer questions about F1 student employment regulations. Please reach out to the ISSS office with questions.  

Pioneer Center for Student Excellence

• Denton (940) 898-3755
• Dallas (214) 689-6687
• Houston (713) 794-2031

The Pioneer Center for Student Excellence provides resources and services to students on all three TWU campuses. These include academic coaching, academic advising, internships, experiential learning opportunities, dissertation boot camp, three-minute thesis programs for master and doctoral students, TRiO student support services, the McNair Scholars program, and the Promise Summer Bridge program. Regardless of major and degree program, the Pioneer Center is here to assist all students.

Dr. Don Edwards Mathematics and Technology Success Center

(940) 898-2169

The Mathematics and Technology Center is a tutoring center offered to students who are enrolled in math, technology, and statistics courses. They provide both group and individual tutoring and are both in-person and virtual. Their mission is to help students in these courses help reach their academic goals. For more information on their specific hours and tutors, please visit the website or contact Paul Ingram, the tutoring coordinator at pingram@twu.edu. 

Science Learning Resource Center

(940) 898-2553

The SLRC assists students with science courses by giving them access to tutoring, textbooks, microscopes, a printer, and more resources to help with success in understanding their homework. Students are able to sign up for group tutoring sessions online.

The Write Site

(940) 898-2341

The Write Site is a tutoring center that provides both one-on-one and group writing tutoring. They can help students with any part of the writing process both in-person and online through Online Writing Lab (OWL). Registration and appointment instructions may be found on their website.