America has made major changes in the visa rules for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists. The US Department of Homeland Security has ended the system that had been in place for decades, under which students could stay in America without any fixed time limit for the duration of their course. After the implementation of the new rules, the period of stay for F, J and I visa holders has been fixed. This decision can have the biggest impact on Indian students, because Indians have the highest share among international students studying in America.
The US government says that the purpose of this change is to strengthen the immigration system, prevent visa misuse and improve national security. At the same time, education experts believe that this may increase additional procedures and challenges for foreign scholars doing long-term courses.
What has changed in the new visa rules?
Under the new rules, F student, J exchange visitor and I journalist visa holders will no longer be allowed to stay for an indefinite period. F and J holders will be allowed to stay in the US for the duration of their course, but for a maximum of 4 years. Apart from this, the grace period of 60 days for leaving America after completing studies, taking transfer to another institute or changing visa status has also been reduced to 30 days. The maximum duration of visa for journalists has been fixed at 240 days, while for Chinese citizens this limit will be 90 days.
What was the arrangement in the old rules?
Till now the duration of status rule was applicable on foreign students. Under this, students could stay in America as long as they were studying regularly in a recognized institution and were following the conditions of the visa. There was no end date for staying in this system. Due to this, students could change courses if needed, transfer universities, take admission in higher education and also complete programs like Optional Practical Training and STEM OPT.
Now what needs to be done to continue studies further?
If a student’s course is for more than 4 years, he or she will have to formally apply for Extension of Status to reside in the US from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. This process will include biometric verification, background check and other security checks. Whereas earlier the university had a big role in extending the visa period, now the final decision will be taken directly by the US federal agencies.
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What will be the impact on Indian students?
America is one of the most preferred higher education destination for Indian students. According to the Open Doors report, more than 3.63 lakh Indians were studying in America’s colleges and universities in the academic year 2024-25, which is about 31 percent of the total international students there. Among these, a large number of students are taking admission in PhD research based Masters and longer academic programmes. After the implementation of the new rules, such students will have to take extra government approval to continue their studies. This may prolong the application process and increase administrative formalities.
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