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By Mike Oates, President & CEO, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC)
When most people think about economic development, they picture infrastructure, workforce training, or innovation clusters. But there is another vital driver of our regional and national economy that rarely makes headlines: international students and exchange visitors. Every year, more than one million international students choose to study in the United States, and many of them find their way to our Hudson Valley institutions—Bard College, Marist University, Vassar College, SUNY New Paltz, Mount Saint Mary College, and others. These students enrich our campuses, contribute billions to local economies, and often go on to become innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
Yet, a recent federal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) threatens to undermine this vital pipeline of talent, innovation, and investment. The proposal would end the longstanding “duration of status” framework and replace it with a rigid four-year admission period for nonimmigrant academic students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives. While this might seem like a bureaucratic adjustment, the consequences would be severe—both for higher education and for our business community.
A One-Size-Fits-All Rule that Doesn’t Fit
Many of our most innovative academic programs are designed to last longer than four years. Dual-degree undergraduate programs often take five years. The majority of PhD programs are designed to take at least five years. Exchange visitors in the professor and researcher category are authorized for up to five years. Under the new NPRM, students and faculty in these categories would be forced to submit multiple extension-of-stay applications—sometimes six to eight over the course of a degree trajectory that includes Optional Practical Training (OPT).
This isn’t just a paperwork issue. Each application creates uncertainty. Will it be approved in time? Will it get lost in a backlog? Students may find themselves unable to finish their degrees. Faculty exchange visitors may be forced to abandon research projects midstream. And academic institutions will have their autonomy undermined, as U.S. Customs and Immigration Service—not advisors or faculty—will be tasked with determining whether a student is making “adequate progress.”
Red Tape that Stifles Academic Flexibility
The NPRM also proposes a ban on lateral and reverse matriculation that would severely restrict program transfers and changes in educational objectives. On its face, this may appear to reduce abuse of the system. In practice, it eliminates the academic flexibility that is the hallmark of the U.S. higher education system.
Imagine a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in music performance who wishes to pivot to a master’s degree focused on orchestral studies. Or a doctoral student who, for valid academic reasons, transitions to a master’s program. These are normal and bona fide learning paths. Under the new regulations, they may be prohibited.
Faculty mentorship would also be disrupted. If a graduate student’s advisor moves to another university, the student would not be permitted to follow, jeopardizing years of research continuity. Academic partnerships that allow dual-degree programs across institutions would also be threatened, as it remains unclear whether students could complete the second half of their program at a partner school.
Unnecessary Duplication in Oversight
The NPRM argues these changes are needed for oversight, but the U.S.already has an effective tool in place: the SEVIS system that is owned by the Department of Homeland Security. For over 20 years, this database has been an effective tool for the U.S. government to manage all the legally required data for every international student and exchange visitor, including financial, academic, and personal details. School officials are trained to maintain extensive records and respond to federal inquiries. The proposed extension-of-stay applications would be entirely duplicative, adding significant costs and red tape without improving accountability.
For smaller colleges in our region, this is not a minor issue. The administrative burden of retraining staff, updating systems, and advising students through a maze of duplicative paperwork will be costly and disruptive. At a time when higher education institutions are already under financial strain, these changes would only make matters worse.
Economic and Cultural Losses
International students and exchange visitors are not just learners—they are economic drivers. Nationally, they contribute nearly $40 billion to the U.S. economy each year. In New York, they are responsible for $3.1 billion in tuition and fees revenue, making them a major revenue source for local colleges and universities, and helping these institutions keep tuition prices lower for domestic students. Locally, they support housing markets, retail businesses, cultural organizations, and even tourism, as family members visit and spend in our communities. Over the past year, international students in New York State were responsible for $657 million in discretionary spending and spillover impacts at local businesses.
Beyond dollars, they enrich our campuses and workplaces with diverse perspectives and cultural understanding. Foreign language programs thrive with the participation of native speakers. Business programs benefit from students who bring international viewpoints. The NPRM would make U.S. programs less attractive globally, driving students to competitor countries like Canada, the U.K., and Australia—nations eager to welcome the very talent we are turning away.
A Call to Action for the Business Community
This is not just a higher education issue—it is a workforce and economic development issue. The Hudson Valley’s businesses, from healthcare and technology to hospitality and manufacturing, rely on a steady pipeline of skilled talent. Many international students stay in the U.S. after graduation through OPT or H-1B programs, contributing directly to our industries. Others return home and become global business partners, strengthening trade ties and expanding markets for U.S. goods and services.
If we make the U.S. a less welcoming and more uncertain destination for international students, we lose far more than tuition dollars. We lose innovators, job creators, and cultural ambassadors who help our region compete in a global economy.
That is why I urge the business community to join higher education leaders in voicing opposition to this NPRM. Submit public comments. Engage your trade associations. Speak to your congressional representatives. Let them know that international students are not just part of the education ecosystem—they are part of the business ecosystem.
At HVEDC, we believe in building an economy that is innovative, diverse, and globally connected. International students and exchange visitors are a cornerstone of that vision. We must not let short-sighted regulation compromise our competitiveness or our communities.
The Hudson Valley has always been a place of opportunity and exchange. Let’s ensure it remains that way.
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