US to limit student visa duration to 4 years

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

The US has proposed to change its laws to limit the duration of ‘student visas’ to a period of four years. The move is expected to impact lakhs of Indians, who are presently studying in the US.
The US Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday said the Donald Trump administration had proposed changes to the law. “The federal government would set the authorised admission and extension periods for foreign students and exchange visitors. This would be up to the duration of the programme they are participating in, not to exceed a 4-year period," the DHS said.

In July, the Ministry of External Affairs informed Parliament that 3,72,424 Indian nationals are pursuing various educational programmes. The MEA had cited the DHS data.

As per the MEA, students are enrolled in study programmes for primary, secondary, vocational, high school, language training, flight school, associate, bachelors, masters and doctorate, among others. These programmes are for different time duration.

The DHS said the need for the law was due to the fact that foreign students and other visa holders remained in the US virtually indefinitely. “This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the US,” the DHS added.

Since 1978, foreign students have been admitted into the US for an unspecified period known as “duration of status” – a type of visa that allowed a person to remain in the US for an indefinite amount of time without further screening and vetting.

The DHS said “foreign students have taken advantage of the US generosity and become “forever” students, perpetually enrolled in higher education courses to remain in the US.

The DHS separately defined rules for foreign media representatives saying their visa would be for period of 240 days only and they would be eligible for an extension period of up to 240 days, but no longer than the length of the temporary activity or assignment.

The US Embassy in New Delhi in an advisory of June 2025 conveyed that grant of a student visa does not guarantee the continued stay of the student in the US.

US to limit student visa duration to 4 years - The Tribune

The US has proposed to change its laws to limit the duration of ‘student visas’ to a period of four years. The move is expected to impact lakhs of Indians, who are presently studying in the US.

www.tribuneindia.com

 

[Hitman]

Isliye bolta hun apne desh meh raho, parho, aur kaam karo!

But whom am I kidding! My older brother himself immigrated to Australia with his family. I'd rather live and die in India.​

 

[Stewie]

The US has proposed to change its laws to limit the duration of ‘student visas’ to a period of four years. The move is expected to impact lakhs of Indians, who are presently studying in the US.
The US Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday said the Donald Trump administration had proposed changes to the law. “The federal government would set the authorised admission and extension periods for foreign students and exchange visitors. This would be up to the duration of the programme they are participating in, not to exceed a 4-year period," the DHS said.

In July, the Ministry of External Affairs informed Parliament that 3,72,424 Indian nationals are pursuing various educational programmes. The MEA had cited the DHS data.

As per the MEA, students are enrolled in study programmes for primary, secondary, vocational, high school, language training, flight school, associate, bachelors, masters and doctorate, among others. These programmes are for different time duration.

The DHS said the need for the law was due to the fact that foreign students and other visa holders remained in the US virtually indefinitely. “This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the US,” the DHS added.

Since 1978, foreign students have been admitted into the US for an unspecified period known as “duration of status” – a type of visa that allowed a person to remain in the US for an indefinite amount of time without further screening and vetting.

The DHS said “foreign students have taken advantage of the US generosity and become “forever” students, perpetually enrolled in higher education courses to remain in the US.

The DHS separately defined rules for foreign media representatives saying their visa would be for period of 240 days only and they would be eligible for an extension period of up to 240 days, but no longer than the length of the temporary activity or assignment.

The US Embassy in New Delhi in an advisory of June 2025 conveyed that grant of a student visa does not guarantee the continued stay of the student in the US.

US to limit student visa duration to 4 years - The Tribune

The US has proposed to change its laws to limit the duration of ‘student visas’ to a period of four years. The move is expected to impact lakhs of Indians, who are presently studying in the US.

www.tribuneindia.com

I actually support this move. Foreign students do tend to abuse the system.

 

[sweep_shot]

I actually support this move. Foreign students do tend to abuse the system.

I second this.

Canada is also facing similar issues.

 

[BouncerGuy]

When you abuse the system, it retaliates. I think every country has the right to make such moves... Understandable.

 

[Varun]

A fair move.

Students are free to vote with their feet and wallet.

 

[Red-Indian]

A fair move.

Students are free to vote with their feet and wallet.

I'm not sure. I think the danger of a move like this is that you might eliminate the worst of the advantage seekers but you'll also scare away the smartest - those who invest years in Masters, Doctorates and Post-doctorates in order to go into research fields.

Yes they're free to go elsewhere but like it or not, some of the world's best universities are still in the States and I'm not sure how the advanced programs are going to find students if there's a 4 year limit.

Maybe they'll announce exceptions eventually but getting those tend to be a painful bureaucratic process that could put off the plenty.

 

[Varun]

I'm not sure. I think the danger of a move like this is that you might eliminate the worst of the advantage seekers but you'll also scare away the smartest - those who invest years in Masters, Doctorates and Post-doctorates in order to go into research fields.

Yes they're free to go elsewhere but like it or not, some of the world's best universities are still in the States and I'm not sure how the advanced programs are going to find students if there's a 4 year limit.

Maybe they'll announce exceptions eventually but getting those tend to be a painful bureaucratic process that could put off the plenty.

Then they (US govt and US universities) will learn the hard way over the medium term.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Isliye bolta hun apne desh meh raho, parho, aur kaam karo!

But whom am I kidding! My older brother himself immigrated to Australia with his family. I'd rather live and die in India.​

To be honest Australia is decent immigration option. But I do see your point of view as well.

 

[Hitman]

To be honest Australia is decent immigration option. But I do see your point of view as well.

I'll never leave my city, let alone my state, let alone my country. I was born here, I will die here. My brother and his family are now Australian citizens with Australian passports.​

 

[Red-Indian]

I'll never leave my city, let alone my state, let alone my country. I was born here, I will die here. My brother and his family are now Australian citizens with Australian passports.​

Admirable but not advisable dude. I always tell young folks to go try new places, roles etc. to figure out what really works for them.

I personally lived for 2 years in Europe and close to 5 years in the States before returning home. I've been back 10 years and can't imagine moving out again but I thoroughly enjoyed those years, see the appeal of life in a developed country and understand why I prefer life in India

 

[Technics 1210]

Is this 4 solar or lunar years?

Asking for a friend.

 

[mominsaigol]

The easiest way to get settled In USA is not student visas or H1B.

It's E3 visa exclusive to Australia or TN visa exclusive to Canadians.

E3 visa is alot easier though. Best bet is to just get a Canadian or Australian passport.

Id recommend Canadian though. Suck it up and give a tcf French test and get ex0ress entry with 540+ points.

Australia is getting harder and harder day by day. SA nomination and Vic nomination is bloody tough. Tbh Australia is now quickly going the route of UK and USA where best bet is to study and work with a temporary graduate visa and convert it to 190, 191, 189 later on.

USA students will only find it tougher due to how crazy Donald Trump is.

 

[gazza619]

Isliye bolta hun apne desh meh raho, parho, aur kaam karo!

But whom am I kidding! My older brother himself immigrated to Australia with his family. I'd rather live and die in India.​

While I respect your choice and understand that everyone has their own reasons for such beliefs, I am curious to know more about why you feel this way.

It seems to me that you feel quite strongly about this matter and perhaps even believe that this should be imposed upon others. Personally, I can totally understand why someone might not want to live and breathe in today's India (and Pakistan).

 

[Major]

Damn, i thought how developed india was, why would indian students go to USA?

 

[JaDed]

The easiest way to get settled In USA is not student visas or H1B.

It's E3 visa exclusive to Australia or TN visa exclusive to Canadians.

E3 visa is alot easier though. Best bet is to just get a Canadian or Australian passport.

Id recommend Canadian though. Suck it up and give a tcf French test and get ex0ress entry with 540+ points.

Australia is getting harder and harder day by day. SA nomination and Vic nomination is bloody tough. Tbh Australia is now quickly going the route of UK and USA where best bet is to study and work with a temporary graduate visa and convert it to 190, 191, 189 later on.

USA students will only find it tougher due to how crazy Donald Trump is.

Things have changed in Canada, I got PR in Canada the score back then for Express Entry was 460ish, Its near 600 now, one has to do a lot more to get a cut off let alone huge wait times.

On h1b can settle in US, but not if he is born in India or China, those lines are crazy, the option for H1bs born in China and India is to make high end income and move to a different catagory and apply(Investor EB5), or do a phd for eb1.

 

[JaDed]

Admirable but not advisable dude. I always tell young folks to go try new places, roles etc. to figure out what really works for them.

I personally lived for 2 years in Europe and close to 5 years in the States before returning home. I've been back 10 years and can't imagine moving out again but I thoroughly enjoyed those years, see the appeal of life in a developed country and understand why I prefer life in India

Sane advice , I know many folks over the years that have gone back to India from states esp from Mumbai and Northern side due to their lifestyle back home.

Many are going to back from Canada too..but i also think everyone should experience western lifestyle and then make this decision, I have cousins that are doing very well in India and don’t want to come to west but they work in tech and I advised them to at least see what are people’s habbits and lifestyles for whom they are building the tech products back home.

 

[JaDed]

When you abuse the system, it retaliates. I think every country has the right to make such moves... Understandable.

That’s very true if you are an immigrant, but if you are white and abuse the system they make you the president.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The policies and the right wing retards marching on the streets across Britain and the US are setting their own countries back.

Why wouldn't you want the top talent from the world coming to your country, studying, then contributing?

Unfortunately Karen with 3 kids from 3 boyfriends and Tom with missing teeth and National Flag tatood on his buttocks are the types of people governments are trying to appease.

 

[Technics 1210]

The policies and the right wing retards marching on the streets across Britain and the US are setting their own countries back.

Why wouldn't you want the top talent from the world coming to your country, studying, then contributing?

Unfortunately Karen with 3 kids from 3 boyfriends and Tom with missing teeth and National Flag tatood on his buttocks are the types of people governments are trying to appease.

The cult who arrive here do not contribute squat. They earn money and either park it or send it back home. Their intention is not integrate.

Not only this, were not talking 100000s, were talking 10s of MILLIONS! Check out the immigration act from the 50s. It was passed to limit the immigration from India.

And anyway, top talent escaping from SupaPuwa India?

 

[Champ_Pal]

Damn, i thought how developed india was, why would indian students go to USA?

$1 = Rs.88

That is the prime reason. Not to study and get some degree. It is true for 90% of the students who go to study in US. Once $1 becomes Rs.20 or less, the immigration will stop.

India is not a place where merit is truly appreciated. One's caste matters. The system is corrupt and its not easy to start a business unless you have good contacts(political). I am sure the situation has improved in the past 20 yrs. But it is still not up to the western standards.

 

[Major]

$1 = Rs.88

That is the prime reason. Not to study and get some degree. It is true for 90% of the students who go to study in US. Once $1 becomes Rs.20 or less, the immigration will stop.

India is not a place where merit is truly appreciated. One's caste matters. The system is corrupt and its not easy to start a business unless you have good contacts(political). I am sure the situation has improved in the past 20 yrs. But it is still not up to the western standards.

So india rupee is doing that bad? I was told by the fellow indians here how good the country was and developed

 

[Champ_Pal]

So india rupee is doing that bad? I was told by the fellow indians here how good the country was and developed

Against US Dollar. Currencies are all relative. A lot depends on trade deficit(India imports more than it exports), high cost of crude oil imports, US Dollar itself is strengthening and lastly the tariffs on India by US is not helping the value of Indian rupee.

India is developing. Not developed. It will be a developed country by 2050. Still 2 decades away. Anyone who says it is already developed is lying. Again, development is all relative. For a Bangladeshi, going and working in India is better than staying in his country and struggling. So they enter India illegally. In the other case, Indians try to illegally enter US and Canada to earn a few dollars. For them it is better to do menial jobs than struggle in their own country.

 

[Major]

Against US Dollar. Currencies are all relative. A lot depends on trade deficit(India imports more than it exports), high cost of crude oil imports, US Dollar itself is strengthening and lastly the tariffs on India by US is not helping the value of Indian rupee.

India is developing. Not developed. It will be a developed country by 2050. Still 2 decades away. Anyone who says it is already developed is lying. Again, development is all relative. For a Bangladeshi, going and working in India is better than staying in his country and struggling. So they enter India illegally. In the other case, Indians try to illegally enter US and Canada to earn a few dollars. For them it is better to do menial jobs than struggle in their own country.

Makes sense. India isnt up their with the top countries, and which is why they are willing to menial jobs there.

 

[Rajdeep]

The policies and the right wing retards marching on the streets across Britain and the US are setting their own countries back.

Why wouldn't you want the top talent from the world coming to your country, studying, then contributing?

Unfortunately Karen with 3 kids from 3 boyfriends and Tom with missing teeth and National Flag tatood on his buttocks are the types of people governments are trying to appease.

Not sure about the U.S., but here in Britain people are marching against illegal immigrants being housed in posh hotels and living off taxpayers’ money. People are also upset when St. George’s flags are removed from places like Tower Hamlets (in the heart of London) because it might “offend” a few people. I think these are legitimate concerns, and we can’t just hide behind terms like “right-wing” or “Karen.” Back in 2015, maybe these debates could have been shut down by throwing around words like “racism,” but in 2025, everyone sees the reality.

Look, I’m a brown Indian guy, and to many white British people, I’m also considered an outsider. But I have to be honest: I moved to the UK in 2012, and in just 13 years, I’ve seen a complete demographic shift. If I feel it, imagine how white British people born in the 1960s feel. And before anyone jumps in, yes, I’m also blaming the huge influx of Indian students. Take a train in East London—apart from English, you’ll hear every other language.

I’ve now moved out of London (thank God) and live in a seaside town. When I first moved here, just after Covid, it was almost entirely white (British and European). Now, when I go for a beach walk, I see mostly South Asian families. Even the nightclubs here are hosting more Bollywood parties than Western ones—all of this in just the last three or four years.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Makes sense. India isnt up their with the top countries, and which is why they are willing to menial jobs there.

The massive population is a bane. Situation would have been a lot different if India's population was only 50 crores instead of 150 crores. Lack of foresight by the founding fathers and successive governments has led to this pathetic population explosion. It has hit its peak and will only decline from here.
As of 2025, Indian fertility rate is 1.98 children per couple. Below the replacement rate of 2. This means in the coming years, population is going to fall. But to get back to the manageable size of 75 crores, it will take at least 4 or 5 decades. With improving medical facilities, people are also living longer.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Not sure about the U.S., but here in Britain people are marching against illegal immigrants being housed in posh hotels and living off taxpayers’ money. People are also upset when St. George’s flags are removed from places like Tower Hamlets (in the heart of London) because it might “offend” a few people. I think these are legitimate concerns, and we can’t just hide behind terms like “right-wing” or “Karen.” Back in 2015, maybe these debates could have been shut down by throwing around words like “racism,” but in 2025, everyone sees the reality.

Look, I’m a brown Indian guy, and to many white British people, I’m also considered an outsider. But I have to be honest: I moved to the UK in 2012, and in just 13 years, I’ve seen a complete demographic shift. If I feel it, imagine how white British people born in the 1960s feel. And before anyone jumps in, yes, I’m also blaming the huge influx of Indian students. Take a train in East London—apart from English, you’ll hear every other language.

I’ve now moved out of London (thank God) and live in a seaside town. When I first moved here, just after Covid, it was almost entirely white (British and European). Now, when I go for a beach walk, I see mostly South Asian families. Even the nightclubs here are hosting more Bollywood parties than Western ones—all of this in just the last three or four years.

There are issues, but targeting legitimate immigrants is not the answer.

People are upset at economic policies that have left them destitute despite living in the richest countries in the world. Pointing at immigrants is just a good distraction.

White people haven't decreased in population. It's up to them to ensure the nightclubs don't need to have Bollywood nights to survive, or that churches can stay open without making mosques.

Anyway back to the topic of students, I don't think it's abused as much as people think. It's just a convenient way for governments to show the public they are getting tough.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Not sure about the U.S., but here in Britain people are marching against illegal immigrants being housed in posh hotels and living off taxpayers’ money. People are also upset when St. George’s flags are removed from places like Tower Hamlets (in the heart of London) because it might “offend” a few people. I think these are legitimate concerns, and we can’t just hide behind terms like “right-wing” or “Karen.” Back in 2015, maybe these debates could have been shut down by throwing around words like “racism,” but in 2025, everyone sees the reality.

Look, I’m a brown Indian guy, and to many white British people, I’m also considered an outsider. But I have to be honest: I moved to the UK in 2012, and in just 13 years, I’ve seen a complete demographic shift. If I feel it, imagine how white British people born in the 1960s feel. And before anyone jumps in, yes, I’m also blaming the huge influx of Indian students. Take a train in East London—apart from English, you’ll hear every other language.

I’ve now moved out of London (thank God) and live in a seaside town. When I first moved here, just after Covid, it was almost entirely white (British and European). Now, when I go for a beach walk, I see mostly South Asian families. Even the nightclubs here are hosting more Bollywood parties than Western ones—all of this in just the last three or four years.

Only citizens will be able to remain in years to come . If you denounce Hindutva and swear allegiance to the king , you may be able to get it before it’s too late

 

[Rajdeep]

Only citizens will be able to remain in years to come . If you denounce Hindutva and swear allegiance to the king , you may be able to get it before it’s too late

I swear allegiance to only one king