Trump Administration Plans Four-Year Cap on Foreign Students in US

• New rule caps international students’ study period at 4 years.
• 60-day post-study stay remains for legal status or departure.
• Over 6,000 student visas canceled this year for legal violations.

The Trump administration suggested a new regulation that would restrict the duration of foreign students' studies in the United States.

The regulation focuses on visas for international students, cultural exchange initiatives, and foreign media, and arises as the administration has enacted stringent measures concerning student visas while maintaining its clampdown on certain international students it claims have violated the law.

Students with the F visa can now remain in the US for the entire period of their studies, no matter how long that is. The updated regulation would alter the enrollment timeframe for international students and exchange visitors to a set duration of up to the duration of the program they are participating in, not to exceed a 4-year period.

The suggested regulation would maintain the 60-day timeframe for students to stay in the US after their studies conclude to take the steps necessary to maintain legal status or depart the United States.

The regulation also establishes the entry timeframe for foreign media, which is presently the length of the program or job, lasting up to 240 days, although individuals may extend it for the same duration.

“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 in a statement.

The spokesperson said the 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 US, easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history.”

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The State Department has increased the requirements and regulations for screening student visas in recent months. A State Department official stated last week that over 6,000 student visas have been canceled this year.

According to a State Department official, the quantity of revoked visas is almost four times higher than it was during the same timeframe last year.

In June, the State Department instructed its embassies and consulates to screen student visa applicants for any hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.