The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking to modify foreign student visas to shorten how long pupils, among others, can stay in the country.
The proposed rule would limit foreign students, professors, physicians and other visa holders to a four-year stay in the United States, the department stated in a news release on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Individuals could remain in the country longer but would need to undergo further screening and vetting, the release noted.
For instance, an undergraduate student would receive a four-year visa to match a four-year degree program but need additional security screening before being granted an extension to pursue a graduate degree.
“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 amounts of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” DHS said in a written 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.”
President Donald Trump first proposed the rule during his first administration in 2020, but it was withdrawn by President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.
How do student visas work?
Since 1978, students could stay in the country as long as they were enrolled in a full-time educational program.
People wishing to study in the United States already undergo extensive vetting as part of the application process, which includes security checks of biographic and digital information and online screening of their social media presence to assess whether they present a threat to national security.
The rigorous process applies to those seeking F, M and J non-immigrant visas.
How many international students are studying in the United States?
In 2024, there were 1.1 million international students studying in the United States, according to a report from Open Doors, a federally funded research group. The figure was an all-time high.
What are advocates saying?
In a written statement, Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance, an organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact students, said: “The proposed rule is yet another unnecessary and counterproductive action aimed against international students and scholars.
“The rule would force them to regularly and unnecessarily submit additional applications to be able to stay in the country and fulfill requirements of their academic programs, imposing significant burdens on students, colleges and universities and federal agencies alike.”
In the proposal, DHS said foreign students have “taken advantage of U.S. generosity and have become forever students, perpetually enrolled in higher education courses to remain in the U.S.”
At least 33% of U.S. colleges and universities consider international student recruitment a high priority. International students typically pay significantly higher tuition rates compared to their American peers, a 2025 report from the Institute of International Education details.
Education leaders are anticipating declines in enrollment due to visa application barriers, student decisions to enroll in another country’s institution, potential problems at a U.S. port-of-entry and concerns about visa status while in the United States.
The president does have the ability to make the proposed change without seeking Congressional approval. The rule still needs to be finalized, meaning it must undergo a multi-step process before being implemented.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DHS proposes plan to limit how long foreign students can study in US
