New DHS Rules for Foreign Students
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new regulations on Thursday that limit how long foreign students can remain in the United States. This update aims to close a loophole that previously allowed some individuals to essentially stay as “eternal students.”
Historically, those on F-class visas could maintain their status indefinitely as long as they were enrolled in a higher education program. These proposed changes follow President Trump’s recent decision to permit 600,000 students from China to attend U.S. universities, which didn’t sit well with many of his supporters.
DHS officials argue that these new rules target policies that have been exploited. It seems some foreign nationals have been extending their student status for longer than what could be considered reasonable.
“For too long, prior administrations allowed foreign students and other visa holders to stay in the U.S. almost indefinitely,” stated a DHS spokesman. “This new proposed rule will end such abuses by restricting the duration of stay for certain visa holders, thereby making it easier to manage foreign students’ statuses.”
The proposed rules will set the period of stay to coincide with the length of the academic program, up to a maximum of four years. After that, students will need to reapply to remain in the U.S., which will also provide DHS with regular opportunities to review individual cases.
This initiative isn’t entirely new; it was first introduced in 2020 but was reversed in 2021 under the Biden administration.
Interestingly, on Monday, Trump’s announcement regarding the acceptance of 600,000 Chinese students appeared to contradict earlier policies from his administration. Back in May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had stated that the government would begin actively revoking visas for some Chinese students, particularly those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party. Plus, Trump had signed a declaration in June aimed at preventing Harvard from recognizing new international students under the visa program due to national security concerns.
Concerns continue to surface regarding potential Chinese espionage on U.S. campuses. For instance, a recent incident at the University of Michigan led to the arrest of two Chinese citizens accused of smuggling biological materials.
DHS has not made any further comments regarding these developments.
