Trump admin proposes limit to duration of visas for students, media
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The Trump administration has decided to revive a proposal aimed at restricting the duration of visas for foreign students and media personnel as part of efforts to tighten immigration controls and reduce visa misuse.
According to a recent announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the government plans to end the decades-old policy that allows foreign students holding F visas to remain in the U.S. for an indefinite period, provided they maintain their course of study.
This policy, in place since 1978, enabled students to stay without undergoing regular immigration checks.
A DHS spokesperson stated that previous administrations had permitted foreign nationals to stay in the country almost indefinitely, which, according to the department, created security concerns and financial burdens for taxpayers.
The proposed rule, the spokesperson added, seeks to close such loopholes by imposing stricter limits on the duration of stay for certain visa holders, TNIE reported.
The revived proposal seeks to limit the validity of student and exchange visitor visas to the duration of their academic programs, with a maximum cap of four years.
Students wishing to extend their stay beyond this period would need to apply through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), where they would undergo additional scrutiny.
The rule would also affect foreign media professionals holding I visas. Currently, they are allowed five-year stays with possible renewals. Under the proposed changes, their initial stay would be limited to 240 days, with the option of a single 240-day extension, depending on the length of their assignments.
According to the Trump administration, these restrictions aim to prevent cases involving so-called “forever students,” where individuals remain enrolled in academic programs primarily to prolong their U.S. stay.
The rule was initially introduced in 2020 but was later withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021. Its revival reflects a broader return to stricter immigration policies under Trump’s agenda.