International students in the United States could soon face major changes after the US government introduced a new rule limiting the stay of F-1 and J-1 student visa holders to a maximum of four years. The regulation, finalised on July 16–17 and expected to take effect in mid-September, has sparked criticism from education experts and immigrant advocacy groups, who say it could disrupt studies and research for thousands of students.
The new policy replaces the long-standing “duration of status” system, under which international students were allowed to remain in the US for as long as they were enrolled full-time and maintained their legal student status.
What the New Rule Changes
Under the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation, most F-1 and J-1 visa holders will now be allowed to stay in the US for only four years. The rule also changes several other key aspects of the student visa process:
A maximum stay of four years, including time spent under Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT.
The grace period after completing studies has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
Students who need additional time to complete their courses will have to apply directly to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by filing Form I-539.
The new system is expected to create difficulties for students pursuing doctoral degrees, medical residency programmes and long-term STEM research, as many of these courses typically take longer than four years.
Advocacy Group Warns of Impact
The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) has strongly opposed the new regulation and has urged lawmakers and USCIS to stop the rule before it comes into force.
Khanderao Kand, Chief of Policy and Strategy at FIIDS, said the four-year limit does not match the actual time required to complete many academic programmes.
According to him, the average bachelor’s degree takes around 52 months to complete, while a PhD generally takes about 5.7 years. He also pointed out that USCIS is already handling a backlog of more than 11 million cases, with processing times stretching to nearly a year in many cases.
Kand warned that forcing students to seek extensions during ongoing research could interrupt important projects, cause laboratories to lose skilled researchers, and ultimately benefit other countries that are competing to attract international talent.
Universities Could Also Feel the Financial Impact
FIIDS said the new policy comes at a time when international student enrolments are already under pressure.
The organisation noted that new international student enrolments fell by 17% during the autumn 2025 intake—the steepest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to its estimates, the drop resulted in around $1.1 billion in lost university revenue and put nearly 23,000 jobs at risk.
Education advocates fear that the new visa restrictions could discourage more international students from choosing the United States for higher education, further affecting universities that rely on foreign student admissions.
FIIDS Seeks Policy Changes
To reduce the impact of the new rule, FIIDS has appealed to Congress to restore the earlier duration-of-status system or provide exemptions for graduate and STEM programmes that usually take more than four years to complete.
The organisation has also requested the Department of Homeland Security to introduce administrative relief measures. These include granting automatic extensions to students who remain in good academic standing, speeding up the processing of Form I-539 applications, and restoring the earlier 60-day grace period after course completion.
Uncertainty Ahead for International Students
With the regulation expected to come into effect in mid-September, many international students, universities and researchers are closely watching whether any changes or exemptions are introduced before implementation.
Higher education advocates argue that while the rule aims to standardise visa durations, it may create new challenges for students enrolled in longer academic programmes and could affect the United States’ ability to attract global talent in higher education and research.
Also Read: US Dream Gets Tougher: Trump’s New Visa Rules Could Hit Indians Hard https://www.vibesofindia.com/trump-new-us-immigration-rules-h1b-student-visas-indian-workers/
