According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), international students on F-1 visas -issued to those attending accredited institutions in the U.S. - are now restricted to study abroad programs of less than five months if they wish to maintain their student status.
For programs longer than five months, students will need to obtain a new Form I-20. This document, issued by U.S. educational institutions, certifies that a student has been admitted to a full-time program and has sufficient financial resources to remain in the country.
The changes, which took effect on Aug. 27, have been adopted by Minerva University but largely gone unnoticed by other institutions, according to The PIE News.
"Many U.S. campuses offer study abroad programs longer than five months. International students with these visas are now restricted from taking advantage of these wonderful opportunities," said Mike Magee, president of Minerva University.
"We understand the U.S. government was seeking to provide more – rather than less – clarity with this guidance," he told The PIE News.
Minerva University, known for its innovative global immersion teaching method, offers students international rotations across Asia, Europe, and South America after their first year in the U.S. Students return to San Francisco in their fourth year to complete their studies and graduate. This model has earned Minerva the title of "the world’s most innovative university" for three consecutive years, according to the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI).
Cities that have hosted Minerva’s student rotations include Berlin, Buenos Aires, Hyderabad, London, San Francisco, Seoul, and Taipei, with plans to add Tokyo to the rotation in 2025. The recent policy changes, however, will affect students graduating this year who had planned their studies and careers based on the previous regulations. These students now risk losing their F-1 visa status and missing work opportunities.
Minerva University has called for a reconsideration of the policy, emphasizing the unique needs of international students and the importance of flexible study abroad programs. They argue that a revision would better align with the U.S. government's goal of fostering global educational partnerships.
In its response to USCIS, the university pointed out that applying the five-month absence rule to study abroad programs forces students to forfeit their visa status, requiring them to obtain a new I-20, which incurs additional costs—even if they remain enrolled Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified schools during their study abroad period.
According to OpenDoors, in the previous academic year, the U.S. hosted over one million international students from more than 200 countries and territories. Among them, nearly 22,000 were from Vietnam, ranking in the top five in terms of international student numbers. Approximately 82.7% of these students held F-type visas.