Overview

• The draft rule would replace open-ended stays with set admission periods, capping F and J visas at up to four years and I visas at up to 240 days, with 90-day limits for some Chinese nationals.
• F-1 students would see the post-completion grace period reduced from 60 to 30 days, face tighter rules on graduate program changes, and be required to seek extensions through USCIS.
• DHS cites oversight and national-security needs, pointing to growth in entries that reached about 1.6 million F admissions and roughly 500,000 J admissions in recent years.
• The publication in the Federal Register revives a 2020 proposal that was later withdrawn, signaling a renewed push to tighten legal immigration programs.
• University leaders and international-education groups warned of harm to enrollment and research, while China’s ambassador cautioned against new barriers to people-to-people exchanges.