Trump Administration Limits Foreign Student Visa Duration to Four Years

The Trump administration has officially announced a new regulation limiting the duration of stay for foreign students in the United States. The policy, known as the duration of status rule, will restrict the validity of student visas to the length of a specific academic programme, with a maximum cap of four years. Students who need more time to complete their studies will be required to apply for an extension of their status. For nearly five decades, student visas were granted based on the duration of their programme, remaining valid throughout the course of study plus any Optional Practical Training (OPT) period, an immigration programme that allows foreign graduates to work in the US for up to three years after graduation. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated, ‘For decades, foreign students have been allowed to enter the US without a definite time limit, enabling thousands to abuse our immigration system by continuously enrolling in courses to avoid leaving the US.’ Immigration restrictionists have long targeted the OPT programme, arguing it allows US companies to hire foreign graduates without strict regulations ensuring they are not paid less than American-born graduates. Silicon Valley and Wall Street firms often rely on OPT to employ new graduates before sponsoring them for long-term visas such as the H-1B. If access to OPT is made more difficult, the opportunities for international students to settle long-term in the US will be drastically reduced. The new rule also targets foreign media using I visas. Previously, Western media journalists could obtain visas valid for up to five years, but now most such visas are limited to 240 days, with a 90-day limit for Chinese nationals. The American Council on Education warned that establishing fixed admission periods and unreasonable time limits will have a detrimental impact on educational institutions, international students, and the overall US economy. While the government argues the measures are necessary for oversight and screening of individuals within its borders, experts assess that this uncertainty will discourage international students, particularly at the postgraduate level, from choosing the United States as their study destination.