Trump's Shock Waves Again!

Student Visa Abuse? | 4-Year Cap; No Switching Courses in First Year!

- Simple Vishwakarma

The Trump administration is planning to place a four-year time limit on student visas in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday. If finalized, the proposal would end the current system that allows international students to remain in the country for an indefinite period as long as they are enrolled in a program.

According to the release, the proposed rule seeks to bring foreign student visas in line with other categories of temporary visas by capping the length of stay and requiring applicants to seek extensions when needed. Currently, most students enter on an F visa under a "duration of status" policy, which has been in place since 1978. That arrangement allows them to stay for as long as they are enrolled, without a fixed end date.

Under the concept, during their first year of study, undergraduate students would not be permitted to switch programs, majors, or educational levels. Only in certain circumstances, such as a school shutdown or an extended disruption brought on by a natural disaster, may the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) offer exceptions, according to a report by Fragomen.

Once a student completes a program at a certain level, they can't come back on F-1 status to study another program at the same level or a lower one.