WASHINGTON – International students in US could remain in the country for the duration of their academic programs but the system is now set to change under immigration policy shift, as the Trump administration introduced new rules that cap most student visas at four years while imposing stricter requirements on transfers, program changes, and post-graduation stays.
The current administration unveiled sweeping new immigration regulations that will tighten visa rules for international students, cultural exchange participants, and foreign journalists under Trump’s broader immigration crackdown.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule ending long-standing “duration of status” system for F (student), J (exchange visitor), and I (foreign media) visas. Instead of allowing visa holders to remain in the US for length of their academic program, exchange assignment, or employment, the new policy introduces fixed admission periods.
The regulation is set to take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review. Under new framework, international students and exchange visitors will generally be permitted to stay in US for no more than four years.
Foreign journalists, whose visas have traditionally remained valid for several years, will now receive visas lasting up to 240 days. Chinese journalists will face an even shorter limit of just 90 days, although extensions will remain available upon application.
The move adds to series of immigration measures introduced by Trump administration, which expanded scrutiny of legal immigration, revoked visas and green cards from some university students over ideological concerns, and withdrawn legal protections from hundreds of thousands of migrants.
The latest rule also imposes stricter conditions on international students. Graduate students will no longer be allowed to change their educational objectives or transfer to another institution without prior authorization. In addition, the grace period after completing a degree or training program has been reduced from 60 days to just 30 days, giving graduates less time to secure employment or another legal immigration status.
Amid criticism, officials defended the policy by citing sharp increase in temporary visa admissions. According to the department, United States recorded more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, an increase of over 11 percent compared with the previous year. During fiscal year 2024, the country also admitted more than 500,000 exchange visitors and approximately 37,300 foreign journalists.
The department said the growing number of temporary visa holders has made oversight increasingly difficult and noted that some students and exchange visitors have remained in the United States for decades under the existing “duration of status” system. The regulation also reignited diplomatic tensions with Beijing.
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