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How the Trump administration’s new rules could affect international students
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New visa restrictions could make it harder for international students to study in the U.S, in another example of how the Trump administration’s goals for cutting immigration are at odds with the aims of American higher education.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it’s cracking down on foreign students who intentionally take a long time to earn their degrees. It’s adding strict time limits to student visas and restricting how international students transfer schools or change their study plans.
The rule announced last week could have a big impact on college campuses, where international students can make up as much as a fifth of the student body. Foreign students bring diversity and alternative world views, and they contribute heavily to colleges’ financial health — they don’t qualify for federal aid, so many pay full tuition. They also help fuel American innovation in a countless number of fields, in graduate programs, Ph.D. programs and research positions.
“What is at stake is frankly the preeminence of American higher education,” says Fanta Aw, the executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. She called the move misguided and unnecessary bureaucracy. “At a time when there’s increased competition, we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot every single time.”
What’s behind the changes?
This new rule eliminating what’s known as a “duration of status” is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration.
In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the change will strengthen national security and cut down on what he called “forever students,” who intentionally take a long time to finish their degrees.
“This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home,” he said in the statement.
Historically, students or scholars on so-called <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>F or J visas could stay in the country as long as they were making progress in their academic program, enrolling in a minimum number of classes and avoiding legal trouble. So although the Department of Homeland Security cites rampant abuse in the student visa process as the driving force behind the rule change, there aren’t clear numbers on students purposefully perpetually enrolling to remain in the country.
The department does publish data on what it calls a “Suspected In-Country Overstay,” and in 2024, that rate was 2.45% of the more than 1.4 million students and exchange visitors who held student visas.
Under this new rule, most international students will be admitted to the U.S. for a fixed period — up to four years. If they need more time, which many of them likely will, students will have to apply for an extension and pay a fee. The new rule also says international students cannot change majors or transfer schools in their first year. It also cuts the post-graduation grace period, the time these visa holders have to leave the country, from 60 days to 30 days. That means less time for recent grads to find work, update their visa status and stay in America.
While universities worry the new rule could affect programs that often take far longer than four years, like medical programs or Ph.D.s, Jessica Vaughan, who leads policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates for fewer immigrants, says this is an important change.
“The government needs an opportunity to check in on what people are doing and potentially re-vet them or review their circumstances,” she says. That way, we can “make sure that they are still going to qualify to remain here.”
How might this affect enrollment?
The policy change goes into effect in mid-September. Most fall programs in the U.S. will have already started, so returning and first-year students will already have received their visas.
For those currently using F or J visas, the length of their visas will automatically update to four years starting from the start date of this new rule.
It’s future enrollment that could take a hit. Already this past academic year, U.S. colleges saw big declines in international student enrollment at graduate programs compared with the year before. That followed the Trump administration’s travel bans and visa processing disruptions, in addition to billions of dollars in cuts to university research grants — and attacks on higher education more broadly.
Critics of the policy say the new restrictions on switching programs and changing majors also undercut one of the key selling points of the U.S. higher education system: as a place where students come to explore and find themselves — adding a double major, switching programs, minoring in subjects they didn’t know existed.
College concerns
When DHS proposed the rule change, it received more than 20,000 public comments, many of which were from colleges and universities saying the change would cause major disruptions for their international students — both current and prospective. “A fixed period of stay would add expense, delay, and uncertainty for nearly every international Ph.D. student and J[-1] research scholar and professor at Vanderbilt University,” the provost of that private research university in Nashville, Tenn., wrote. “The average time to completion for a Ph.D. student is just over 5.75 years. Under the proposed rule, nearly every one of the 528 international doctoral students at our institution … would face the very real possibility of an interrupted education.”
Oklahoma State campuses flagged a number of programs that extend beyond four years, including veterinary medicine. Other schools tried to communicate the various reasons students might not complete their degrees in four years, or outlined the negative economic and workforce impacts.
Now that the rule is final, schools are scrambling to figure out what it will mean for their international student offices, their Ph.D programs and admissions. Carnegie Mellon University, a private research university in Pittsburgh with a large portion of international students, is planning a town hall for the fall semester to answer questions from the campus community about the change.
“We know changes can cause uncertainty and anxiety,” the announcement said, “and we want students and scholars to know that we are here to support you.”
Edited by: Nirvi Shah
Visual design and development by: LA Johnson
Audio transcript
The Trump administration is limiting international student visas to four years. That could have big implications for college finances and innovation in this country. NPR correspondent Elissa Nadworny is here to talk about this change. Good morning, Elissa.
ELISSA NADWORNY, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: So what does this new role mean for international students?
NADWORNY: Well, historically, international students could remain in the States as long as they were making progress in their academic program. And starting in September, students will have a fixed time period to finish – up to four years. And that means if they need more time to finish their degree, which a lot of students do – you know, if they need to take a break or they get sick, if the classes they need to graduate just aren’t offered – they’re now going to have to apply for a formal extension and pay a fee. And universities worry this could impact programs which often take four – like, longer than four years – medical programs, PhDs. There’s also new restrictions on switching programs and changing majors.
FADEL: So what’s behind the rule change?
NADWORNY: So this is all part of the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration, tackling what it says is abuse of the U.S. visa system. The Department of Homeland Security says the change will strengthen national security through regular vetting and cutting down on what it calls, quote, “forever students,” who they say are perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid leaving the States. Now, we don’t have great numbers on this because the current student visa system allows them to do this. Jessica Vaughan leads policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates for fewer immigrants. And she thinks this change is good.
JESSICA VAUGHAN: The government needs an opportunity to check in on what people are doing and potentially re-vet them or review their circumstances and make sure that they are still going to qualify to remain here.
FADEL: How are colleges reacting?
NADWORNY: Well, there’s a lot of concern that this is going to make it harder for students to come and study in the U.S. International students play a big role on college campuses, both for their diversity and worldview, but also they bring in a lot of money. They don’t qualify for federal aid. Many pay full tuition. I’ve been on campuses where 20% of the student body comes from outside the U.S. NAFSA: the Association of International Educators called the move misguided and unnecessary bureaucracy. I talked with Fanta Aw, the executive director and CEO of that organization. And she worries that if fewer international students come to the U.S. to get their PhD, to do research, U.S. innovation will take a big hit.
FANTA AW: What is at stake is, frankly, the preeminence of American higher education. At a time when there’s increased competition, we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot every single time.
NADWORNY: And remember, Leila, you know, this comes after a year of cuts to university research grants, attacks on higher ed more broadly. So yeah. It’s all part…
FADEL: Yeah.
NADWORNY: …Of that.
FADEL: And fall classes – they start in just over a month. Would this rule affect that?
NADWORNY: This goes into effect September 15. Most fall programs in the U.S. will have already started, so returning and first-year students will have already gotten their visas. But it is likely to affect how many future students enroll. This past academic year, we saw big declines in international student enrollment at graduate programs compared with the year before. And this is also happening when other countries, especially in Europe, are stepping up their recruiting. They’re hoping to lure international students there instead of the U.S.
FADEL: NPR’s Elissa Nadworny, thank you so much.
NADWORNY: You bet.
