The Trump administration has announced plans for a new four-year limit on visas for foreign students, as shared by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday.
The proposed regulations would restrict the duration certain visa holders, including foreign students, can stay in the United States. In a release, a DHS spokesperson stated, “For too long, previous administrations have favored foreign students and visa holders at the expense of US citizens, allowing them to stay indefinitely, which poses safety concerns and strains taxpayer resources.”
The spokesperson emphasized that this new rule aims to prevent visa holders from exploiting the system, thereby reducing the burden on federal oversight of foreign students and their records.
According to the announcement, the government intends to restrict the stay to four years. The DHS noted that since 1978, some visa holders have been allowed to stay in the US indefinitely under a status designation, without needing additional reviews.
“Foreign students have taken advantage of the system, becoming ‘forever’ students and remaining enrolled in courses indefinitely to stay in the country,” the release added.
Throughout the early months of his time in office, President Trump and his administration have pursued stricter immigration policies.
Last Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that the administration has suspended all work visas for foreign truck drivers, stating, “We are halting all worker visas for commercial truckers. With the increasing number of foreign drivers operating large trucks on US roads, we are putting American lives at risk and undermining the livelihoods of American truckers.”
