US Limits International Students' Stay to Maximum 4 Years... Applies to Current Visa Holders from Effective Date

Permitted up to Four Years Based on Program Duration

Extra Stay Requires Federal Review

Grace Period After Graduation Reduced from 60 to 30 Days

Stricter Limits on Changing Major or Academic Program

Over 13,000 F-Visa Students and Family Members Affected

I-Visa for Foreign Journalists Now Subject to Regular Extensions

The Trump Administration has finalized a regulation that limits the period of stay for international students and exchange visitors in the United States to a maximum of four years. The new rule will also apply to students who are already studying in the U.S.

On July 16 (local time), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its final rule to switch the period-of-stay authorization for F-visa students, J-visa exchange visitors, and I-visa foreign journalists from the traditional "duration of status" system to a fixed-term period with a set expiration date.

Under the new regulation, F-visa students and J-visa exchange visitors will be permitted to stay for the scheduled duration of their respective academic or exchange programs, but no single stay can exceed a maximum of four years.

Therefore, if it takes more than four years to complete a degree program or research/exchange program, students must file a separate request for a stay extension with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

DHS plans to require extension applicants to undergo biometric verification, background checks, and fraud assessments. The federal government will directly review whether to grant extensions, moving away from the previous approach that largely relied on schools to manage students' enrollment status.

DHS stated, "Student visa extensions will be permitted only after rigorous review," and added, "We will prevent visa abuse and enhance national security through regular screenings."

Current holders of F, J, and I visas in the United States will also be automatically converted to the new system. Foreign nationals staying under the previous "duration of status" system will be granted a period of stay up to four years from the implementation date of the new rule.

This means that the four-year calculation does not start uniformly from the time of entry into the U.S., but rather, the stay duration for existing visa holders is reset based on the regulatory effective date. However, if a course of study or program ends sooner, the authorized stay will be set to correspond with that earlier end date.

The grace period for F-1 students to prepare for departure after graduation or completion of their academic program will also be reduced from 60 days to 30 days. During this period, students must either leave the U.S., transfer to another school, or apply for another valid immigration status.

Restrictions will also be tightened regarding changes in major and academic programs. The intent is to prevent students from repeatedly altering their major or degree program to extend their stay in the United States.

DHS argued that since 1978, international students have been allowed to remain in the U.S. as long as their academic status was maintained without a designated period-of-stay expiration, and that some students have abused the system by continuously enrolling in classes to avoid leaving the country.

Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security, stated, "The outdated 'duration of status' system has weakened national security and created an environment conducive to immigration fraud," adding, "By establishing clear and finite periods of stay, we will regain the ability to properly screen and manage foreign nationals in the U.S."

He also emphasized that the rule is intended to refocus international students on the original goal of returning to their home countries after completing their studies.

The fixed-term period will also apply to I-visas issued to foreign journalists. Generally, foreign journalists will be allowed to stay for up to 240 days at a time, and must apply for further 240-day extensions if they continue reporting. Chinese nationals holding I-visas will only be eligible to extend their stay in 90-day increments.

The DHS plans to publish the final rule in the Federal Register within the next few days. The regulation will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. If it is published on July 17, the effective date will fall in mid-September.

However, the rule will not be implemented uniformly at the beginning of the September semester. Instead, the regulation will take effect on the date that is 60 days after its official publication in the Federal Register.

As a result of this measure, international students in U.S. doctoral programs or in medical and other professional degree programs that typically take longer than four years will likely be required to undergo an extension review. Students whose program durations are extended due to research delays, leaves of absence, or changing their major will also be subject to additional review.

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States, as of 2025, there are 11,861 Korean international students in the U.S. with F-1 visas, along with 1,347 dependents on F-2 visas. Combined, the number of students and family members totals 13,208. There are 7,985 Korean exchange visitors with J-1 visas and 3,180 dependents on J-2 visas. The total number of Koreans holding I-visas is 349.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.