US may cap stay for foreign students at four years under Trump proposal

The Trump administration has proposed limiting visa durations for foreign students and media personnel, ending the long-standing “duration of status” system. Plans also include changes to the H1B and Green Card processes, amid rising tensions in US-India trade relations.

New York: The Trump administration has proposed limiting the duration of visas for foreign students and media personnel in the United States.

According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release on Wednesday, if finalised, the rule would restrict the length of stay for certain visa holders, including foreign students.

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Since 1978, foreign students (F visa holders) have been admitted for an unspecified period, referred to as “duration of status.” Unlike most visas, this allows them to stay in the US indefinitely without additional vetting.

The Trump administration argued that some students have misused this “generosity” by becoming “forever students,” perpetually enrolled to extend their stay.

“For too long, past administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the US virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging US citizens,” a DHS spokesperson said.

The proposed rule would instead limit foreign students and exchange visitors to the duration of their academic programme, capped at four years. To stay longer, they would need to apply for extensions with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), ensuring periodic DHS assessments.

For foreign media personnel, who currently work in the US on an I visa valid for five years, the rule proposes an initial admission period of 240 days. Extensions would also be capped at 240 days, but only for the duration of their assignment.

This proposal was originally floated by Trump in 2020 but was withdrawn under the Biden administration in 2021.

In addition, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration is working on changes to the H-1B programme and the Green Card process.

“I’m involved in changing the H1B programme. We’re going to change that programme, because that’s terrible,” Lutnick told Fox News on Tuesday, adding that reforms to the Green Card process are also being planned.

The developments come amid strained US-India relations, with the Trump administration recently imposing a 50 per cent tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, effective Wednesday.