After Donald Trump returned to power this term, Indians on visas have been facing difficulties along with undocumented immigrants. The administration has been issuing new rules almost every week, many of which have already made life miserable for H1B visa holders. Now the focus has shifted to F1 student visa abuse, targeting those who use student visas as a path to stay in the U.S. permanently after their studies.
On Wednesday, the Trump Administration announced a proposed rule to curb F1 student visa abuse and tighten oversight. The proposal would limit the length of time certain visa holders, including foreign students, can remain in the U.S. “For too long, past administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” a DHS spokesperson said. The administration claims this rule would put an end to such practices.
Currently, F1 visa holders are admitted under “duration of status,” which allows them to stay as long as they are enrolled in a program. This open-ended system means students can remain in the U.S. without repeated checks. The Trump Administration argues that this flexibility has been misused, with some becoming so-called “forever students” to prolong their stay.
The proposed rule would admit foreign students only for the length of their academic program, capped at four years. Exchange visitors would face similar restrictions, while foreign media representatives would be allowed 240 days with possible short extensions. Anyone seeking to stay beyond the initial limit would need to apply through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, giving DHS an opportunity to reassess and monitor applicants more closely.
Officials say the changes would strengthen oversight through SEVP and SEVIS systems, making student visa records easier to track and reducing misuse. This proposal was first introduced in 2020 under Trump but was withdrawn by the Biden Administration in 2021. Reviving it now shows the administration’s intent to enforce stricter rules on foreign students, with Indian students and professionals once again caught in the middle.
