Trump Administration Plans to Restrict Visa Durations for Students and Media

New York/Washington, Aug 28 (PTI) - The Trump administration has announced a proposed plan to restrict the duration of visas for foreign students and media personnel in the United States in a bid to combat illegal immigration and visa misuse. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a press statement on Wednesday, articulated that the planned regulation, if finalized, would curtail the permissible stay of certain visa holders, including international students, in the US. "Past administrations have, for an extended period, allowed foreign students and other visa holders to live in the US for indeterminate periods, posing security concerns, draining taxpayer resources, and disadvantaging American citizens,” stated a DHS spokesperson. The spokesperson added that this new rule aims to terminate such exploitation by restricting the residency duration for these visa holders.

Since 1978, US policy has permitted foreign students (F visa holders) to remain for an unspecified timeframe, a concept referred to as “duration of status.” Unlike other visas that carry specific expiration dates, individuals with a “duration of status” are not subject to further vetting and can stay indefinitely, noted the DHS. The administration under President Trump has argued that foreign students have misused the US’s leniency, transforming into perpetual students to prolong their stay.

Under the proposed directive by President Trump, the government would impose authorized entry and extension durations for foreign students and exchange visitors, matching the length of their academic or exchange programs, with a cap at four years. For foreign media workers in possession of an I visa, typically valid for five years with possibilities for extensions, the initial admission would be condensed to a maximum of 240 days. Media representatives could seek renewal for another 240-day term, extending only as long as their temporary assignment mandates.

Further, foreign students, exchange visitors, and media personnel would need to petition the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for extensions, ensuring regular evaluations by the DHS to permit prolonged US residence. This proposed rule was initially introduced during President Trump's tenure in 2020 but was later withdrawn by the Biden Administration in 2021.

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