DHS Moves To Curb 'Visa Abuse': Proposed Rule Would Cap Foreign Student Stays At 4 Years

The Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule replacing the long-standing 'duration of status' for F/J/I visas with program-length admissions, generally capped at four years for most international students. DHS frames the move as anti-fraud and improved oversight; critics warn it could disrupt graduate pathways, reduce international enrollment and harm U.S. research and higher education finances. The proposal is part of a cluster of August 2025 rule actions tightening nonimmigrant visa oversight across federal agencies.