- Kenyan lawmakers are urging the United States to ease visa rules and expand scholarship opportunities for students.
- The Department of Homeland Security ended duration of status, replacing it with a fixed four-year admission period.
- New regulations beginning in September 2026 require federal extensions for programs exceeding four years in duration.
Kenyan lawmakers on Thursday urged the United States Congress to ease visa rules and widen scholarships for Kenyan students after the Department of Homeland Security tightened the clock on foreign study. The delegation met congressional officials in Nairobi. Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe led it.
The department’s move landed first. On July 16, 2026, it issued a final rule that ended Duration of Status for F, J, and I nonimmigrants and replaced it with a fixed admission period of up to four years.
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“For nearly half a century, the outdated 'duration of status' system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud. By implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders. This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home.”
The new system starts September 15, 2026. It changes the terms at the border. Students whose programs run longer than four years now have to apply to USCIS for an Extension of Stay using Form I-539, and the request carries biometrics, background checks and a $370 fee.
The grace period also shrank. Students now get 60 days to 30 days after completion to leave the United States or transfer schools. That tighter window gives families less room to adjust.
Wangwe’s delegation said the changes are already feeding anxiety at home. MPs warned that the longer paperwork trail and the fixed four-year limit could push some applicants toward universities in Europe and Asia instead. They also pointed to SEVIS fees and high tuition costs, which they said are making U.S. education harder to afford.
New applicants face another hurdle. They still must persuade consular officers that they have strong ties to home and enough money to cover the trip. The presumption of immigrant intent under Section 214(b) remains the main reason visas are refused in Nairobi.
PhD candidates and medical trainees sit closest to the edge. Their programs often run 5-7 years, so many will need to stop mid-degree and file for another round of federal vetting. The extra filing comes while they are still studying.
The pressure on students is colliding with a separate offer from Washington. On April 13, 2026, the U.S. Mission to Kenya announced the Freedom 250 Tech and Innovation Exchange, a fully funded program for 76 Kenyan undergraduates. It sends students to U.S. universities for a junior-year semester.
That scholarship drive does not erase the new visa limits. The paperwork now sits with the federal government. The change also shifts extension oversight away from school-based Designated School Officials and to USCIS federal adjudicators, a move that puts another layer between students and their timelines.
The visa squeeze has one more cost attached. A $250 Visa Integrity Fee, enacted in July 2025, is expected to be fully implemented by September 30, 2026. That deadline arrives as applicants, schools and families are already adjusting to the new rule.
