The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will prevent international students from staying in the United States for more than four years unless they obtain federal government approval, as announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday. According to the Associated Press, this represents a departure from long-standing practice where students were generally admitted for as long as it took to complete their academic programs, many of which are longer than four years by design. The rule, which goes into effect September 15, also puts in place restrictions on when and how students may change their major or academic program, creating additional limitations beyond the duration changes. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that 'By implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders,' emphasizing that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose of completing studies and returning home.
Students requiring additional time beyond the four-year limit will need to file formal extension requests with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, as reported by Business Standard. This process will require students to provide biometrics and pay a fee, moving away from the previous system where schools managed student status. The rule specifically targets doctoral candidates and physicians in lengthy residencies, who will be most affected by the new requirements. Students already in the US when the rule takes effect will receive fixed-end dates based on their current program plus a grace period. Under the new framework, F-1 students would have to apply to renew their status with DHS after the four-year admission period is up, fundamentally changing how academic extensions are handled. The Department of Homeland Security has recognized that students could take longer than four years to complete their programs but argues the rule is 'intended as a law enforcement and screening tool to assess whether a student is maintaining normal academic progress and eligibility for F-1 status.'
According to Business Standard, students who allow their fixed terms to expire will immediately begin accruing unlawful presence, exposing them to three- and 10-year bans on returning to the United States. The rule eliminates the previous arrangement where students could stay indefinitely as long as they maintained their academic status. However, officials have clarified that 'nothing in this rule would prevent students from continuing their studies and research as long as individual students are complying with the terms of their nonimmigrant classification.' The government notes that 'Long-standing policy, which is not changing, allows F-1 and J-1 students to continue their studies for as long as their [extension of stay] application is pending.' International students previously could stay as long as their program lasted, but the Trump administration is ending that 1978 policy. Homeland Security officials have framed this overhaul as a national-security and oversight measure, stating that fixed terms provide the government with more regular opportunities to confirm visa holders are following stay requirements.
Higher education leaders have strongly opposed the rule, with Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, warning that the policy sends the wrong message to the world's brightest students and scholars. As reported by Bloomberg Law, Aw noted that 'Requiring students and scholars to get approval to extend their academic programs, change majors, or pursue a new level of study puts educational decisions in the hands of an overburdened immigration system instead of educational institutions.' The rule comes as international student enrollment is declining, with the effects most acutely felt at schools with small endowments and large percentages of international students who pay full-price tuition. Delo Blough, a retired director of international services, expressed concerns about extension approvals, noting that 'The regulation states that decisions about extensions are discretionary; it's unclear, in practice, whether the majority of the extensions will be granted or if the officers will be more selective.' The US Citizenship and Immigration Services currently has a backlog of over 11.65 million cases as of the final quarter of 2025, with average processing times exceeding a year, raising concerns about how the new extension requirements will impact processing times and student continuity.
The rule is scheduled to take effect September 15, though Congress could potentially delay or overturn it through the regulatory review process. The Department of Homeland Security issued the proposal in August 2025 and sent the final version to the White House budget office in May 2026. The Office of Management and Budget approved the rule on June 17, 2026, marking the final step before implementation. The rule includes provisions allowing other sections to remain effective if individual sections are blocked by courts. The new regulations also limit J-1 exchange visitor visa holders, who include many foreign researchers working at US universities, and international media on I visas to fixed periods of stay, while adding new restrictions on changes to academic plans and reducing the grace period for F-1 students to leave the US when their status expires. The first Trump administration also proposed an end to duration of status, but it was struck down after Biden took office, with this proposal receiving nearly 22,000 comments, most of them opposing the change.
