US to limit student visa duration to 4 years

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.