The Trump administration has given discover of a proposed rule change that seeks to restrict the time period for which a scholar visa might be issued. If adopted, the brand new rule would mark a departure from the present “length of standing” method to issuing scholar visas in the US.
“Length of standing” basically permits international college students to stay within the US in the course of their educational programmes as long as they’re abiding by the principles of their visa class. The importance of the proposed rule – particulars of which haven’t but been printed – is that it might introduce fixed-term limits on new scholar visas.
The transfer echoes an identical proposal launched in direction of the tip of the primary Trump administration in 2020. At the moment, the intent was to restrict F-1 visas to time period of the meant programme of research, as much as a most of 4 years, after which college students must apply for a visa extension or a brand new visa in an effort to proceed their research within the US.
Underneath the 2020 proposal, worldwide college students from plenty of particular international locations would have additionally been restricted to a two-year visa time period, quite than 4 years. The 2-year visa was proposed for:
- College students from Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria (all on the State Sponsor of Terrorism Checklist).
- College students from international locations with visa overstay charges of over 10%. A lot of the international locations with greater visa overstay charges on the time have been in Africa (together with Nigeria, an vital progress marketplace for the US), and a few in Asia – together with Vietnam and Nepal. Altogether college students from dozens of nations can be topic to the two-year visa restrict.
- College students enrolled in Intensive English-language Programmes (IEPs).
That 2020 proposal was controversial and was broadly criticised inside US greater training. Miriam Feldblum, govt director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Increased Training and Immigration, mentioned on the time that the rule would “set arbitrary timelines that don’t match what number of educational programmes work, and it’s creating boundaries and uncertainty for worldwide college students who’re going to surprise, ‘Is the US the suitable place for me to come back?’”
Ultimately, the proposal was withdrawn by the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) in June 2021 below the Biden administration.
The brand new discover – posted on 27 June 2025 and entitled “Establishing a Fastened Time Interval of Admission and an Extension of Keep Process for Nonimmigrant Educational College students, Trade Guests, and Representatives of International Data Media” – alerts the present administration’s intent to revisit the query.
The place to from right here?
Commenting on the brand new proposal, NAFSA says, “The ‘good’ information is that it was submitted as a proposed rule, quite than interim ultimate or ultimate rule. Since that is on the proposed rule stage, a rule wouldn’t grow to be ultimate till after [DHS] opinions public feedback on the proposed rule, submits a ultimate rule for [Office of Management and Budget] evaluation, after which publishes a ultimate rule within the Federal Register with a future efficient date.”
Writing to DHS in October 2020 on the sooner proposal to ascertain fixed-term limits for F-1 visas, then-NAFSA CEO Esther Brimmer mentioned, “I urge you to withdraw this poorly conceived rule from consideration.”
“If finalised, the rule will foster great uncertainty for a lot of worldwide college students and change guests about whether or not they may be capable of keep their authorized standing in the US by way of the completion of their research or program.
Underneath the proposed rule, administering worldwide scholar and change customer programmes can be far harder. The rule additionally sends a message, not solely to worldwide college students and change guests however to the world generally, that distinctive expertise, work ethic, numerous views, and financial contributions from overseas should not welcome in the US.”
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