US President Donald Trump (Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has finalised a new rule limiting most foreign students and exchange visitors to a maximum stay of four years in the country unless they obtain an extension from the Federal Government, The Washington Post reports on Thursday.
The new rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, ends the long-standing “duration of status” policy under which international students were generally allowed to remain in the US for the length of their academic programmes, provided they complied with visa requirements.
The restriction will apply to students on F-1 visas and exchange visitors on J-1 visas.
According to The Washington Post, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged concerns that some students could struggle to complete their academic programmes within the new timeframe, noting that many bachelor’s degrees take more than four years to complete, while doctoral programmes typically take even longer.
