New restrictions on foreign student visas in the US

The US government is preparing to tighten visa requirements for foreign students in the country. The new rules, which the Department of Homeland Security expects to take effect in September, include a four-year limit on the duration of stay for foreign students in the US.

Under the regulation, if students wish to remain in the US after the end of their four-year study period, they will be required to obtain additional permission from the government. In the current practice, educational institutions could play a more decisive role in extending students' visa durations.

The new rules will also limit students' ability to change programs and transfer between universities and colleges. The Department stated the rationale for the regulation as "combating widespread visa abuse and strengthening national security."

HOW DID THE CURRENT SYSTEM WORK?

Under the current system, foreign students who come to the US with an F-1 student visa and a J-1 exchange visa could remain in the country as long as their education continued. The new regulation makes this open-ended stay regime subject to a time limit.

Markwayne Mullin, who defends the regulation, argued that foreign students have been accepted into the US indefinitely for many years, and claimed that some students continuously enroll in new courses to avoid leaving the country.

Although most undergraduate programs in the US last four years, graduate programs such as doctorates can take longer. Especially in research programs in science and technology fields, publication processes, funding issues, and personal circumstances can cause education to be prolonged.

The new rules also reduce the time granted after graduation. It is planned to reduce the time given for foreign students to leave the US or switch to a different visa type after graduation from 60 days to 30 days.

REACTION FROM EDUCATORS

The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) criticized the regulation, calling it "misguided and unnecessary." NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw argued that the new practice introduces "uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear" into a long-functioning system and that sufficient justification has not been provided.

The regulation is considered part of the Donald Trump administration's policy of reducing the number of foreign students and limiting immigration. The administration had previously made attempts to limit the number of foreign students at some elite universities and to cancel the visas of students who criticized US foreign policy.

The package is not limited to student visas. New time restrictions are also envisioned for the journalist visa, known as the "I Visa." It is planned to limit journalist visas, which can currently be issued for several years, to 240 days, and to reduce this period to 90 days for Chinese journalists.