According to the innovations, category F student visas and J exchange study visas will now be issued for a maximum of four years, whereas previously they were valid for the entire academic program. The deadline for journalists (I visa) has been reduced to 240 days, and for Chinese citizens to 90 days. The DHS explained that the tightening is due to the record number of student visa entries in 2024, more than 1.8 million were registered.
The rules also tighten the regime of students' stay after graduation: the period for leaving the United States is reduced from 60 to 30 days. In addition, graduate students are prohibited from changing their educational goals or transferring to another educational institution without a separate permission from the authorities.
Experts criticized the new policy. Former DHS employee Doug Rand noted that the rules contradict the interests of admitting international students and create unnecessary bureaucratic barriers. David Beer, Director of immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, added that the 30-day deadline for finding an employer willing to sponsor a visa puts graduates in a desperate situation, effectively turning them into illegal immigrants.
The new measures are a continuation of the Trump administration's broad campaign to tighten both illegal and legal immigration.
Source: Reuters
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