The United States government has claimed that a new immigration law is essential to combat "visa abuse" by limiting the length of stay for foreign students and exchange visitors in the country.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said yesterday, Wednesday, August 27, that the draft regulation will be published today, Thursday, August 28.
Since 1978, students on F visas have been permitted to stay for the "duration of status," which means they can remain in the United States as long as they are enrolled full-time in an academic program.
The proposed rules would instead grant entry throughout the duration of a student's program, up to four years. According to officials, this limit is intended to prohibit people from overstaying in the USA continuously under student visas, News18 reports.
“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the US virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amounts of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens," a DHS spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added, “This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the US, easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and history."
If approved, the rule would also compel students to undergo periodic DHS reviews to extend their stay.
International enrolment at USA universities has already been impacted by visa processing delays and the new visa regime.
According to a recent Institute of International Education poll, 35 per cent of USA institutions reported fewer applications for the following year, compared to 17 per cent for the previous year.
