The Trump administration has unveiled a proposal to impose a four-year limit on how long foreign students can remain in the United States, a change that would end the current system allowing them to stay for the full duration of their studies.
At present, students on F visas are admitted for as long as their courses last, regardless of the number of years. Under the new rule, that period would be capped at “up to the duration of the program they are participating in, not to exceed a 4-year period.” Students would still have a 60-day window after completing their studies to either seek to maintain legal status or leave the country.
The measure, announced last week, is aimed at foreign students, cultural exchange programmes, and foreign media. It would also alter rules for foreign journalists, reducing their permitted stay to 240 days at a time, though extensions would be possible.
“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the US virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging US citizens,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the rule “would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the US, easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history.”
The State Department has already toughened its vetting process for student visas, revoking more than 6,000 this year. That figure is almost four times the number cancelled during the same period last year, according to a State Department official.
Officials said those visas were revoked when people overstayed or broke the law, with violations ranging from assault and burglary to drink-driving and “support for terrorism.” The State Department has also instructed embassies and consulates to scrutinise applicants for “hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.”
The proposed rule is part of the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration and international education programmes, which it argues have been abused, but which critics warn could damage America’s appeal as a destination for study and research.
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