Overview

• The draft caps admissions at up to four years for F and J visas, 240 days for I visas, and 90 days for Chinese reporters, replacing open-ended stays.
• International students would face tighter rules including a 30-day post‑graduation departure window, limits on changing academic fields, and a 24‑month cap for English‑language programs.
• Extensions would require case‑by‑case DHS approval with added biometrics and, for journalists, periodic in‑person embassy interviews while allowing work to continue during review.
• DHS estimates $390.3–$392.4 million in annualized compliance costs and anticipates large volumes of extension filings from schools, programs and visa holders.
• The proposal enters a 30‑day public comment period, revives a 2020 Trump plan withdrawn under Biden, and has already drawn pushback from universities and China’s foreign ministry.