Trump Administration Places Four-Year Cap on Student Visas

The Trump administration finalized a new rule capping international students' visas to four years, unless they obtain federal government approval for extended stay.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the change Thursday, which will go into effect in September.

What else does the new rule entail?

In addition to restricting student visas to four years, the new rule also places restrictions on major changes and when students can change their academic program.

What are people saying?

• NASFA Senior Director Erica L. Stewart: "Requiring students and scholars to seek approval to extend their academic program, change majors, or pursue the next level of study places life-changing educational decisions in the hands of an already overburdened immigration system—not educators, and not institutions."
• Department of Homeland Security: "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."

Until the new rule takes place, students are admitted to the U.S. for as long as it takes to complete their academic program, which often can take more than four years.

The new restrictions on time and major changes will allow for less flexibility for international students, which has worried educators about declining international populations as U.S. institutions.

"At a time when global competition for talent is intensifying, this policy sends exactly the wrong message," said Stewart. "It tells the world’s brightest students and scholars that the United States is becoming less welcoming, less predictable, and less committed."

Stewart continued, explaining that the new rule is not just bad for higher education but also for American "innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership."

The rule follows a wave of crackdowns on international visas by the Trump administration, including travel bans on more than a dozen countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Student visas have declined in past years and the rule change is expected to speed up the decline, making education leaders question the future of international students in U.S. higher education.