Overview

• Under the draft rule, the long‑standing duration‑of‑status model would be replaced with fixed admission periods capped at four years for F, J and I visas, with the option to request extensions.
• Students, exchange visitors and foreign correspondents would need to depart or file for an extension when their authorized stay ends, and post‑program grace periods would be shortened.
• DHS says the change is meant to curb abuses and improve tracking as visa volumes have surged, citing growth to about 1.6 million F visas and roughly 500,000 J visas, with I visas also doubling.
• Higher‑education groups including the Presidents’ Alliance and NAFSA warn the plan would add uncertainty and bureaucracy, potentially weakening U.S. competitiveness and complicating newsroom operations for I‑visa holders.
• The measure is a proposal, not a final rule, and reopens a public‑comment process that drew more than 32,000 mostly critical responses to a similar effort in 2020.