US set to impose fixed-term limits on foreign student visas as White House clears proposal

A new proposal by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to impose fixed-term limits on international students and exchange visitors has cleared review by the White House, signaling its imminent public release, according to a Bloomber Law report.

This move could have a significant impact on Indian students, who formed the largest group of international students in the US in 2024, with over 4.2 lakh enrolled.

At present, foreign nationals in the US on F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor visas are allowed to remain for the “duration of status,” meaning they can stay as long as they are enrolled in academic programs or internships. If implemented, the DHS proposal would instead limit their stay to a set number of years, after which they would need to apply for an extension—even if their program is not yet complete.

The rule was sent by DHS to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on June 27. The review concluded on Thursday, clearing the way for the draft to be released for public comment.

The proposal marks a return to a policy first introduced in 2020 under the Trump administration, which had sought to cap student and exchange visas to two or four years depending on the applicant’s course of study or nationality. That plan drew criticism from academic institutions, with several higher education groups warning it would introduce uncertainty and disrupt ongoing academic work.

The earlier version was formally withdrawn by the Biden administration. However, the reintroduction of a similar framework indicates renewed interest in time-bound controls over nonimmigrant academic visas.