Trump Administration Proposes Fixed Four-Year Cap on F and J Student Visas

(UNITED STATES) The Trump administration has moved to end “duration of status” for most international students and exchange visitors, proposing a fixed four-year cap on stays for F and J visa holders, with limited options to extend beyond that period. The Department of Homeland Security published the draft rule on August 28, 2025, in the Federal Register (90 FR 42070). DHS officials say the plan is meant to curb visa abuse and improve oversight of foreign students.

The proposal is open for public comment until September 29, 2025, and it is not yet final. Until a final rule is issued, the long-standing duration of status policy remains in place for affected nonimmigrants.

Key features of the proposed rule

• Admission period: Most academic students (F-1) and exchange visitors (J-1) would be admitted through the program end date, but for no longer than four years, plus a 30-day grace period to prepare to leave, transfer, or take the next step.
• Extensions: Limited to narrow grounds:
  • Compelling academic reasons
  • Documented illness or medical condition
  • Exceptional events outside the student’s control
    DHS says students who repeatedly fail to complete coursework on time could be denied extensions.
• Transfers and changes: New approval steps would be required for certain school transfers and changes in academic objective—especially for graduate students. First-year students would face similar limits.
• Periodic checks: Students seeking time beyond four years would face regular DHS reviews, potentially tied to SEVIS records and other compliance tools.
• I visa change: The rule also ends duration of status for I visa holders (foreign media), moving them to fixed admission periods.

DHS emphasizes the plan creates a formal extension process requiring students to show why extra time is needed. That procedure would run alongside school-issued documents and federal records already in use today. The agency says added checks would help catch abuse and keep student records up to date.

The proposal is open for comment until September 29, 2025. Until a final rule is issued, the existing duration-of-status policy remains in effect.

How the rule would affect students and schools

Students and institutions would need to adapt planning and compliance from day one on campus.

• Students in programs commonly exceeding four years (e.g., many Ph.D. tracks) would need to file for an extension to remain in the United States.
• Extension filings will require supporting evidence such as:
  • Letters documenting academic progress
  • Medical documentation when relevant
  • Proof that delays were outside the student’s control

Academic moves that are currently common—like switching advisors, changing research topics, or transferring labs—could trigger new obstacles. Graduate deans warn that research and lab-based programs often don’t follow neat timelines. Examples of risks include:

• Failed experiments, funding gaps, or lab shutdowns delaying milestones
• Visa delays while traveling that consume valuable time
• Administrative or processing backlogs that delay extension decisions

Students and universities fear the risk of falling out of status if extension decisions are slow. Even when a student files properly, processing delays during peak seasons or outages could leave them beyond the four-year limit without timely relief.

Universities expect heavier compliance workloads, including:

• Aligning program end dates in SEVIS with actual academic plans
• Drafting extension support letters and tracking deadlines
• Training advisers and faculty on new limits
• Counseling students on travel risks while an extension is pending

College business officers warn that a drop in international enrollment would hit budgets that fund labs, language programs, and student services. Small and mid-sized public universities that rely on overseas tuition particularly worry about financial strain.

Reactions from higher education and advocates

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators called the proposal a “dangerous overreach by government into academia,” arguing it would create longer wait times, more backlogs, and increased risk that students fall out of status due to delays outside their control.
• University officials say the four-year cap would deter enrollment—especially in programs requiring field research, lab rotations, dissertation work, or internships that don’t fit a rigid calendar.
• Student advocates emphasize the added stress for those needing flexibility due to medical needs, family issues, or campus disruptions.
• Supporters of the rule say a fixed four-year cap adds clarity and clear guardrails, replacing the open-ended duration-of-status model.
• Critics counter that the current system already ties lawful stay to active enrollment and normal progress, and that additional approvals could trap students in poorly fitting programs or force mid-degree departures.

Data, stakes, and broader impacts

• More than 1 million international students studied at U.S. colleges and universities in 2024, about 6% of the total student body.
• International students commonly populate key programs in engineering, computer science, math, and health, and often help fund programs that also serve domestic students.
• Since President Trump returned to office, the State Department has revoked 6,000 student visas, reflecting tighter review practices.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com suggests colleges expect a drop in new international enrollment for 2025–2026 if this rule is finalized, a downturn that could affect tuition budgets, research labs, and local economies tied to student spending.

Admission officers warn that a hard end date and strict extension rules would make the U.S. less appealing compared with countries that offer clear multi-year study permits with pathways for longer stays for research or training.

Political and legal path ahead

• The proposed rule revives the Trump-era effort to end duration of status first floated in 2020. The Biden administration withdrew that earlier effort in 2021.
• The current plan (90 FR 42070) goes further by tightening transfers and adding checks for those who need more time.
• Public comments are due by September 29, 2025. DHS must review and respond to comments before issuing a final rule.
• If finalized, the rule could take effect as early as late 2025 or early 2026, though timelines can shift.
• Advocacy groups and universities are preparing to submit detailed comments; litigation is possible if the rule becomes final.

The proposal also aligns with other administration signals—interest in broader biometrics, added monitoring, and stricter vetting of student applicants. Supporters view this as overdue oversight; opponents see it as heavy red tape that could make the U.S. less welcoming to young talent.

Practical questions and concerns

Key operational questions remain if the rule takes effect:

• How will DHS handle extensions filed near the end of a four-year period?
• Can students continue studying while an extension request is pending?
• How should schools treat students who change advisors, shift fields, or pause for health reasons—will those moves count against later extension requests?
• How will travel abroad during a cap period affect reentry, especially if a new visa is needed after program length changes?

Students and schools are advised to keep careful documentation, including:

• Copies of all I-20 / DS-2019 updates
• Letters on academic progress
• Any medical records supporting continuity of study

Campus advisers urge keeping these records in case they are needed to request more time.

Takeaway

The core tradeoff: a fixed four-year cap with limited extensions aims to provide clearer boundaries and curb abuse, while critics say it replaces a flexible, status-based safeguard—tied to active study and progress—with a hard stop that poorly matches academic timelines and adds administrative burden.

Students and schools can monitor official updates at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Federal Register entry is titled “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media,” and appears as 90 FR 42070.