35410 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 126 / Tuesday, July 6, 2021 / Proposed Rules 

1Comments may be viewed at the Federal Docket 

Management System (FDMS) at http://

www.regulations.gov, docket number USCIS–2019– 

0006. 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

U.S. Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement 

8 CFR Parts 214, 248 and 274a.12 

[DHS Docket No. ICEB–2019–0006] 

RIN 1653–AA78 

Establishing a Fixed Time Period of 

Admission and an Extension of Stay 

Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic 

Students, Exchange Visitors, and 

Representatives of Foreign Information 

Media 

AGENCY: U.S. Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

withdrawal. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) is 

withdrawing a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) that published on 

September 25, 2020. The NPRM 

proposed to revise DHS regulations 

governing the length of stay for F, J, and 

certain I nonimmigrants. 

DATES: DHS withdraws the NPRM at 85 

FR 60526 as of July 6, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: The docket for this 

withdrawn proposed rule is available at 

http://www.regulations.gov. Please 

search for docket number ICEB–2019– 

0006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sharon Hageman, Regulations Unit 

Chief, Office of Policy and Planning, 

U.S. Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement, Department of Homeland 

Security, 500 12th Street SW, 

Washington, DC 20536. Telephone 202– 

732–6960 (not a toll-free number). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

September 25, 2020, DHS published an 

NPRM titled, ‘‘Establishing a Fixed 

Time Period of Admission and an 

Extension of Stay Procedure for 

Nonimmigrant Academic Students, 

Exchange Visitors, and Representatives 

of Foreign Information Media’’ (85 FR 

60526). The NPRM proposed to 

eliminate the duration of status 

admission period for F, J and certain I 

nonimmigrants and replace it with a 

fixed time period. Nonimmigrants 

seeking to remain in the United States 

beyond their fixed period of admission 

would have been required to apply for 

an extension of stay directly with U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services or 

to depart the country and apply for 

admission with U.S. Customs and 

Border Protection at a port of entry. 

In response to the NPRM, DHS 

received more than 32,000 comments 

during the 30-day public comment 

period. More than 99 percent of 

commenters opposed the proposed rule 

with many commenters specifically 

requesting that DHS withdraw the 

NPRM.1 Less than 1 percent expressed 

support for the proposed rule with such 

commenters generally supporting the 

proposed rule because they believed it 

would deter illegal immigration, protect 

U.S. workers, and stop espionage. The 

commenters who opposed the NPRM 

argued that it discriminates against 

certain groups of people based on their 

nationality. They also argued that it 

would significantly burden the foreign 

students, exchange scholars, foreign 

media representatives, and U.S. 

employers by requiring extension of 

stays in order to continue with their 

programs of study or work. Commenters 

additionally noted the proposed rule 

would impose exorbitant costs and 

burdens on foreign students, scholars, 

and media representatives due to the 

direct cost of the extension of stay 

application fee, as well as the lost 

opportunity cost of not being able to 

begin their work on time if the 

extension were not adjudicated by the 

government in a timely fashion. 

Commenters argued U.S. employers 

would be similarly burdened by the 

proposed changes because many 

noncitizens may not be able to apply for 

an extension of stay or have it approved 

in a timely fashion, thereby delaying the 

possible start dates of employees and/or 

cause them to lose potential job 

candidates. Finally, commenters 

suggested that the breadth of the 

changes in the proposed rule are more 

than what is necessary to protect the 

integrity of nonimmigrant programs. 

On February 2, 2021, President Biden 

issued Executive Order 14012, 

‘‘Restoring Faith in Our Legal 

Immigration Systems and Strengthening 

Integration and Inclusion Efforts for 

New Americans.’’ Section 3(a)(i), 

instructs the Secretary of Homeland 

Security to identify barriers that impede 

access to immigration benefits. 86 FR 

8277, (Feb. 5, 2021). (‘‘E.O. 14012’’). 

Having reviewed the public comments 

received in response to the NPRM in 

light of Executive Order 14012, DHS 

believes some of the comments may be 

justified and is concerned that the 

changes proposed unnecessarily impede 

access to immigration benefits. DHS still 

supports the goals of the NPRM to 

protect the integrity of programs that 

admit nonimmigrants in the F, J, and I 

classifications but not in a way that 

conflicts with Executive Order 14012. 

Accordingly, we are withdrawing the 

NPRM and will analyze the entirety of 

the NPRM in the context of the directive 

in E.O. 14012 to determine what 

changes may be appropriate and 

consistent with DHS’s needs, policies, 

and applicable law. As such, DHS may 

engage in a future rulemaking to protect 

the integrity of programs that admit 

nonimmigrants in the F, J, and I 

classifications in a manner consistent 

with Executive Order 14012. 

Authority: As stated in the NPRM, DHS 

has general and specific statutory authority to 

regulate the admission of nonimmigrants. 8 

U.S.C. 1103, 1184(a); 85 FR 60526. DHS is 

withdrawing the NPRM using those same 

authorities. 

Alejandro N. Mayorkas, 

Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13929 Filed 7–2–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–28–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2021–0539; Project 

Identifier 2018–SW–048–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron 

Canada Limited Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Bell Textron Canada Limited (Bell) 

Model 206, 206A, 206A–1 (OH–58A), 

206B, 206B–1, 206L, 206L–1, 206L–3, 

206L–4, 222, 222B, 222U, 230, 407, 427, 

429, and 430 helicopters. This proposed 

AD would require removing each 

shoulder harness seat belt comfort clip 

(comfort clip) from service, inspecting 

the shoulder harness seat belt for any 

rip or abrasion, and removing any 

shoulder harness seat belt from service 

that has a rip or abrasion. This proposed 

AD would also prohibit installing any 

comfort clip on any helicopter. This 

proposed AD was prompted by a report 

of a comfort clip interfering with the 

seat belt inertia reel. The actions of this 

proposed AD are intended to address an 

unsafe condition on these products. 

DATES: The FAA must receive comments 

on this proposed AD by August 20, 

2021. 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS