Trump administration proposes 4-year limit on student visas

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the rule would end the current practice of admitting international students for the “duration of status,” which allowed them to remain in the country as long as their academic programs continued. Instead, F and J visas would be capped at 4 years, while I visas for foreign journalists would be limited to 240 days, with the possibility of extension. For Chinese journalists, the maximum stay would be 90 days.

“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” a DHS spokesperson said. “This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the U.S., easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history.”

The DHS emphasized that fixed admission periods will require foreign students, scholars, and journalists to apply for extensions with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, ensuring more regular oversight. The agency accused some foreign nationals of becoming “forever students” by enrolling in successive academic programs to prolong their stay.

The proposal, originally floated in 2020 and later withdrawn under the Biden administration, reflects the Trump administration’s broader agenda of tightening immigration rules. Officials argue the changes will strengthen national security and reduce visa abuse.

Earlier, the U.S. State Department reported that it had revoked more than 6,000 student visas this year as part of the Trump administration’s intensified policy toward international students.