Trump Administration Ends 'Duration of Status,' Setting Four-Year Limit for International Students

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded a long-standing policy known as "Duration of Status," which allowed international students to remain in the United States for the duration of their studies without a time limit, as long as they did not violate their status. The new rule sets a four-year limit on international students' stay in the United States (unless they apply for and receive an extension) and restricts their ability to change majors or transfer schools after entry.

Leaders and experts in international education point out that for many students, four years is simply not enough to complete a degree. Nearly all doctoral programs require more than four years, and ordinary undergraduates often take more than four years to complete a bachelor's degree. In addition, F-1 visa students who apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization after graduation typically stay in the United States for more than four years.

But the government argues that the old policy allowed students to remain in the United States indefinitely without any contact with immigration officials. This led to visa overstays and raised national security concerns. According to Department of Homeland Security data, among international students who entered on F-1 visas between 2000 and 2010, 2,100 are still in the United States on F-1 visa status.

Department of Homeland Security officials did acknowledge in the final rule that students may need more than four years to complete their studies. But they stressed that the reform "is intended to serve as an enforcement and screening tool to assess whether students are maintaining normal academic progress and to confirm whether they still qualify for F-1 visa status."

Officials added: "As long as individual students comply with the terms of their nonimmigrant status, nothing in this rule will prevent them from continuing their studies and research. The long-standing policy allowing F-1 and J-1 visa students to continue their studies while an extension application is pending remains unchanged."

International students currently in the United States may "retain status until the end of their current program of study, or for up to an additional four years."

Trump also sought to terminate the Duration of Status policy during his first term, but it was rescinded after former President Biden took office. The policy proposal returned in late summer last year and received nearly 22,000 public comments, the vast majority of which opposed it. Universities argued that most doctoral students need more than four years to complete their degrees; hospital leaders emphasized the important role J-1 visa doctors play in the health care system.

The new rule is expected to take effect on September 15, two months after the final version was published.

In a department press release, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that for decades foreign students have been allowed to remain in the United States indefinitely, which enabled thousands of people to abuse the immigration system. They avoided their obligation to leave the country by enrolling in courses endlessly, he said. By imposing clear and finite limits on these visas, the United States is regaining the ability to properly screen, vet and monitor people within its borders, and this final rule will ensure that foreign students focus on their primary goal: completing their studies and returning home.

"Misguided and Unnecessary"

Ending the Duration of Status policy is the Trump administration's latest move to crack down on international students. Other measures include terminating the status of thousands of students in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System in spring 2025, imposing new social media vetting on applicants, and denying a record number of visa applications. Since the start of Trump's second term, international education experts have warned that these actions could lead to declining international student enrollment, making it difficult for universities to meet enrollment and revenue goals, while also weakening America's ability to recruit top students and scholars to drive U.S. research and innovation. As expected, in fall 2025, the number of international students in the United States declined, and the number of approved new student visas also fell.

The release of the final rule immediately sparked strong protests from international education leaders and advocates. Several critics noted that through the digital record system known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), international students are already subject to the highest level of monitoring among all U.S. nonimmigrant groups.

Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, called it "a misguided and unnecessary policy shift that injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked efficiently." Her statement also criticized the federal government for interfering in students' academic decision-making, including changing majors and transferring schools.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association sharply condemned the new rule on social media. The organization wrote that the rule "duplicates processes already managed by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)." It also said the rule change is part of the Trump administration's broader plan to "dismantle the legal immigration system," which "could create an even larger undocumented population and ultimately undermine the economic and security foundations the government claims to protect."

Zuzana C. Wusen, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, emphasized that the rule could negatively affect the country's "economy and global competitiveness."

"International students, scholars, and exchange visitors contribute economically, academically, and culturally to American society. They drive innovation, create jobs, and advance breakthrough research, creating abundant opportunities for Americans. They deserve assurances that their period of stay in the United States will meet their academic needs," she said in a statement. "With international student enrollment already declining, we should be welcoming top talent with open arms, not erecting new walls that limit opportunity and innovation."

Some Republican lawmakers applauded the new rule on social media. Missouri State Senator Rick Brattin, who is currently running for Congress, expressed support in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote: "This closes the 'Duration of Status' loophole, which not only prevents visa abuse but also restores substantive vetting—critical for national security."

Another Missouri Republican, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, also praised the new rule. He argued that the policy ends the so-called "perpetual student" phenomenon—international students staying in the United States indefinitely by continuously enrolling in courses.

Uncertainty and Administrative Burden

F-1 visa students—international students pursuing degrees at U.S. colleges and universities—have enjoyed Duration of Status treatment since 1979; before that, they had to reapply for visas every year. The 1978 rule explicitly stated that the policy was intended to "facilitate" the entry of international students while avoiding a heavy workload for the then-Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Today, "adding to immigration officials' workload" has become one of the core concerns of international education experts about the new rule. According to the American Immigration Council's USCIS case tracking system, as of the fourth quarter of 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had a backlog of more than 11.65 million cases, with average processing times exceeding one year. Requiring international students to apply for extensions would inevitably worsen the backlog. And if extension approvals are delayed, students could find themselves in a dilemma, unsure whether they can continue their studies.

"We have absolutely no confidence that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can handle a tsunami of extension applications... If they swear up and down that 'we can process them within such-and-such time,' I won't believe a word of it," Fanta Aw told Inside Higher Ed before the rule was finalized. "I just don't believe it. They've never done it before."

Delow Brau, a retired international services director, said earlier this year that her biggest concern was how many extension applications would actually be approved. The new rule states that extension decisions are discretionary. That means, in practice, it remains unknown whether most applications will pass smoothly or face stricter scrutiny from officials. Brau noted that government agencies and frontline immigration officers may not understand the legitimate reasons why a student needs more than four years to complete a degree. This could well lead to extremely high denial rates, and students would have no way to appeal.

Brau believes the new rule could further reduce the number of international students coming to study in the United States. Even before this, international student numbers had already been declining amid a series of crackdowns on international students by the Trump administration.

"If they strictly enforce a policy of approving only a very small number of exceptions after four years, we will lose a large number of international graduate students," she said. "That is the harsh reality, because not all academic programs can adapt to that pace."