Trump administration proposes 4-year limit for international student visas

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a proposed rule to limit the length of time international students can remain in the U.S. for their studies to four years.

If finalized, the proposed rule set to be published on Thursday would limit how long certain visa holders, including foreign students, are allowed to stay in the U.S., according to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, which said the proposal seeks to curb “visa abuse” and increase the agency’s ability to “properly vet and oversee these individuals.”

The agency said foreign students have “taken advantage of U.S. generosity” and become “forever students” by remaining enrolled in colleges so they could stay in the U.S.

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“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.

“This new 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 U.S., easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history,” the spokesperson continued.

Since 1978, foreign students, or F visa holders, have been allowed to remain in the U.S. for their “duration of status,” which means the time they were enrolled as a full-time student. The proposed rule would allow foreign students and exchange visitors to stay in the country up to the duration of the program they are participating in, although the federal government would not permit it to exceed four years, which is typically less time than it takes to pursue any additional education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

In addition to students, the proposed rule would set the initial admission period for foreign journalists at up to 240 days, although they may seek an extension of up to another 240 days, but no longer than the length of their assignment.

Requiring regular assessments by DHS for foreigners to remain in the U.S. for a longer period would allow the agency to conduct “proper oversight” and reduce the number of people in the country on visas, the press release said.

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Foreign students, notably, typically pay more tuition and receive fewer scholarship opportunities, meaning the proposed rule may have a financial impact on U.S. colleges if it leads to a dip in international enrollment.

“It will certainly act as an additional deterrent to international students choosing to study in the United States, to the detriment of American economies, innovation, and global competitiveness,” Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, said in a statement to POLITICO.