Donald Trump Administration Proposes 'Time Limit' On Student Visas Amid Overhaul

Last Updated:July 02, 2025, 11:40 IST

The rule, proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would scrap the current flexible "duration of status" policy and replace it with a fixed period of stay.

Presently, international students holding F-1 visas and exchange visitors on J-1 visas are granted a 'duration of status'(Representative image)

In another blow to the foreign students in the US, the Donald Trump administration has proposed a controversial rule that could significantly alter the lives of international students in the US.

The rule, proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would scrap the current flexible “duration of status" policy and replace it with a fixed period of stay for F, J, and I visa holders—including students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives.

The rule, currently under final review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), comes amid Trump’s aggressive stance on removing illegal immigrants and eliminating anti-semitism on campuses in the US.

If approved, each foreign visa will have an expiry date.

This proposal marks a revival of a 2020 Trump-era move that was never finalised. Presently, international students holding F-1 visas and exchange visitors on J-1 visas are granted a ‘duration of status’ that allows foreign students, exchange visitors, and representatives of foreign media to stay in the US as long as they maintain full-time enrollment. However, with the new proposal, they will receive a fixed period of stay in the US.

Post its review, the proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register, reported Times of India. Prior to finalisation of a rule, typically a 30 or 60 day window is open for public comments and it takes months before a rule is final. However, experts worry this one may be issued as an “interim final rule," bypassing public input and taking immediate effect.

Earlier, the United States mandated for all the visa applicants to disclose all social media usernames and handles from the past five years for background checks. The US Embassy in India said that the omission of this rule could lead to rejection of visas and ineligibility for future visas.

Moreover, days after the US State Department resumed processing of student visa applications, the country mandated the applicants for F, M, or J non-immigrant visas to change the privacy settings of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’.

It also noted that since 2019, the US has been collecting social media identifiers as part of its visa application process.

The Trump administration in May ordered all of its consulates worldwide to stop new student visa interviews and applications for exchange visitor visas.

The development came alongside a broader travel policy overhaul for 2025, in which the US government has introduced a new travel ban affecting nationals from 12 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa.

Trump’s crackdown on top universities in the United States began aggressively within a few months of taking office.

Harvard was the latest to bear the brunt of the crackdown when the White House put a $2.2 billion freeze on federal funding. He also barred foreign nationals from entering the US to study at the Ivy League university. Last month, however, a federal judge blocked Trump from implementing his plan.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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News world Donald Trump Administration Proposes 'Time Limit' On Student Visas Amid Overhaul