Tufts prepares for student visa rule change as injunction faces uncertainty – The Tufts Daily

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Tufts prepares for student visa rule change as injunction faces uncertainty

The Department of Homeland Security’s changes to student visa policy have forced administrators and international students to plan ahead

The International Center is pictured on Sept. 22, 2021

The university is preparing for the possibility that a Trump administration policy limitinginternational students’ valid stay in the United States on an F-1 or J-1 visa with fixed admission periods could take effect if a court lifts the nationwide order currently blocking its implementation

U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV for the District of Massachusetts issued the nationwide preliminary injunction on Sept. 14, blocking implementation of a Department of Homeland Security rulefinalized on July 17. The regulation was proposed in August 2025, following a similarproposal during Trump’s first administration

Under the existing “duration of status” framework, international students can generally remain in the United States for the duration of their academic programs and authorized practical training, provided they continue to maintain their immigration status

The rule would also generally prohibit F-1 undergraduate students from changing their major or transferring schools in their first year, and it would prohibit graduate students from changing academic programs or transferring institutions during their studies

Anna Garson, director of the Tufts International Center, wrote in an email to the Daily that the center has been paying close attention to the situation since the new policy was proposed

“While we are relieved that implementation of the rule did not take effect on September 15, we are still actively preparing students and campus partners for all possible outcomes,” she wrote

A first-year international student from India, who requested anonymityfor fear of immigration-related retribution, described how the potential changes could affect their education and plans

“I do have plans to go for a study abroad. That was one thing that I was worried about; it’s also a question I asked when the International Center gave us a seminar and briefing on this new rule — whether it would affect our study abroad plans — and they said it wouldn’t,” they said. “The injunction was definitely good news because it has made things a lot better. It is temporary, though, so it’s like waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Despite the looming possibility of the rule change taking effect, the student noted that Tufts’ clear communication has been helpful

“Even prior to traveling to the U.S. and after coming here, we had multiple sessions at the International Center where they were really transparent. It wasn’t like they were giving us false promises,” they said

In addition to the International Center, Cigdem Talgar, vice provost for education, and Jason Nolen-Doerr, assistant vice provost for global strategy,have been preparing Tufts’ response should the injunction be vacated

In an email to the Daily, Talgar wrote that Tufts convened a university-wide working group over the summer to develop comprehensive recommendations

“The working group’s outcomes have positioned the university and each school to take quick action if the rule is finalized,” he wrote. “This preparation will limit disruptions within our community if the rule change is fully implemented.”

As of fall 2025, international enrollment totaled 2,441 students across all of Tufts’ schools

Ayanna Thomas, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a professor of psychology, discussed the need to communicate clearly and provide continued support for international graduate students

“We want to make sure that we remain a placethat all students from anywhere can come and be a part of our community,” she said. “Our goal is just to make sure that our international students that might be affected by this have all the information they need, and in a timely manner, in order to make decisions and apply for the necessary visas.”

Tufts’ five-year programs, including its 4+1 bachelor’s-to-master’s programs and combined-degree program with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, could face additional immigration procedures under the rule. Students who need more than four years to complete their studies may need to apply for extensions of stay

Regarding Tufts’ five-year programs, Thomas said the new visa processes lack clarity and that all programs would have “a pathway forward.”

Source: www.tuftsdaily.com