US changes visa rules for foreign students and journalists
DHS says the change will require extensions for longer stays and adds stricter reporting, as more than 1.8 million student visas were issued in 2024.
- On Thursday, President Donald Trump's administration finalized rules capping F and J visa stays at four years and limiting journalists to 240 days , replacing decades of open-ended admissions effective 60 days after Federal Register publication tomorrow.
- DHS justified the shift citing sharp visa surges: more than 1.8 million student admissions in 2024, a more than 11 percent increase, plus more than 500,000 exchange visitors and roughly 37,300 media admissions, arguing the rising volume 'poses a challenge to DHS's ability to monitor and oversee these non-immigrants.'
- Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the prior system 'compromised national security' by allowing students to 'perpetually enroll in courses'; the rule halves post-graduation grace periods from 60 to 30 days and prohibits graduate students from changing educational objectives or transferring schools without authorization.
- Higher-Education and press-freedom groups immediately opposed the rule, with the Presidents' Alliance warning it 'weakens the ability of US colleges and universities to attract top talent,' while NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw called it 'misguided and unnecessary' and 'a solution in search of a problem.'
- Implementation faces acute challenges as USCIS manages a backlog exceeding 11.65 million cases, and nearly all Ph.D. programs exceed the four-year cap, raising concerns that processing delays could leave students in legal limbo amid a fundamental shift of visa authority from universities to federal officials.
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290 Articles
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday published a final rule that ends the system that allowed international students to stay in the United States for the entire duration of their academic program. From now on, most F-1 and J-1 visas will have a fixed limit of four years.The change directly affects the more than 80,000 international students who study in Massachusetts, who contribute nearly $4 billion to the state economy and susta…
President Donald Trump's government has finalized a rule that will prevent foreign students from staying in the United States for more than four years unless they get approval from the federal government, the Department of Homeland Security reported on Thursday.
GU to Provide Additional Visa Guidance Following New Restrictions
Georgetown University’s Office of Global Services (OGS) will provide additional guidance to international students following new federal visa restrictions, the office announced July 17. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalized a series of rule changes July 16 that will eliminate duration of status, which allows student visa holders to remain in the United States for the entire length… Source
The new regulation changes a system in force for decades and forces thousands of university students to rethink their academic plans
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