The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to remove regulations at 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2) to restore its previous and long- standing policy of not providing aliens in certain nonimmigrant classifications (and their dependents) with an up to 60-day grace period upon cessation of employment prior to the expiration of the alien's authorized period of stay. This proposal restores a direct relationship between an alien's nonimmigrant status and the specific employment or activity that formed the basis of his or her admission or grant of status in the United States and reduces administrative burden.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to change the admission period in the F, J, and I classifications from duration of status to an admission for a fixed time period, and additional changes to admission and extension requirements. This final rule will provide additional protections and oversight of these nonimmigrant categories and will allow DHS to better evaluate whether these nonimmigrants are maintaining status while temporarily in the United States. This final rule provides amendments to the proposed rule covering this topic that was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025.

The Department of Homeland Security proposes to limit and clarify eligibility for discretionary employment authorization for aliens paroled into the United States temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, who have been granted deferred action, or against whom a final order of removal exists and who are temporarily released from custody on an order of supervision. DHS further proposes to specify that aliens applying for employment authorization who admit to committing, have been arrested for, or have been convicted of certain criminal acts do not warrant a favorable exercise of discretion unless there are significant countervailing public interests, which may include assisting law enforcement activity in the United States.