International students will only be able to remain in the United States for a maximum period of four years, said the Donald Trump administration on Thursday while announcing key changes to visa rules.
Apart from international students with F visas, the new final rule to be published by the Department of Homeland Security will impact visitors on cultural exchange programmes who possess a J visa and foreign journalists with an I visa.
These visas are currently available for the duration of an educational programme or employment in the US.
The changes are expected to affect students enrolled in doctoral programmes the most, which typically require five years to seven years to complete.
These programmes have attracted heavy Indian enrolment, among the 3.31 lakh students from the country currently studying in the US.
The new rules will replace the long-standing “duration of status” system and are meant to “combat rampant visa abuse, and strengthen national security through regular vetting”, stated the Department of Homeland Security.
It added that the changes will be published in the Federal Register “in the next few days” and will take effect 60 days after that.
Following that, students will have to apply for extensions periodically if they require more than four years to complete their studies or exchange programme.
The application process will include biometric and background checks, as well as fraud screening.
The grace period for students after completing their studies has also been reduced from 60 days to 30 days. During this time, students must leave the country, transfer to another institution or change to a different immigration status if they wish to remain in the US.
The regulations also prohibit students from changing their “educational objectives” or transferring to another institution without authorisation, Reuters reported.
The visa for members of the media will be limited to 240 days, while Chinese journalists will receive visas valid for up to 90 days, according to the news agency.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the previous system had allowed some students to remain in the US indefinitely by continually enrolling in courses.
“This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home,” he said.
In 2020, a similar proposal was announced at the end of Trump’s first term, but it was withdrawn by the Joe Biden administration in 2021.
As of 2024, there were about 1.6 million international students on F visas in the US.
In 2023-’24, authorities also granted 13,000 visas for journalists and more than 3.5 lakh J visas meant for cultural exchange visitors.
Since taking office in his second term in January 2025, Trump has announced several measures as part of his immigration crackdown.
Written by Sara Varghese. Edited by Sneha.
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