Policy Change Could Force International Students Out Mid‑Study

The United States is set to enforce a new regulation that caps the stay of F‑1 and J‑1 visa students at four years, a move that could see researchers, Ph.D. candidates, and medical trainees expelled before completing their work. The rule eliminates the prior Duration of Status protection, merges all training periods into a single four‑year limit, and shortens the post‑completion grace period to 30 days.

According to the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies, the policy runs counter to typical program timelines: undergraduate degrees average 52 months, while doctoral studies usually require 5.7 years. The organization contends that the sudden truncation of visas will disrupt laboratory operations, delay graduations, and hinder faculty recruitment that depends on international talent.

FIIDS has called on the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS to grant automatic extensions for students who are in good standing, exclude OPT and STEM‑OPT from the four‑year count, expedite Form I‑539 applications, and restore the 60‑day grace period.