The Trump administration of America has made a major change in the visa rules of foreign students and has decided to end the decades-old Duration of Status system. Under the new rule, students and exchange visitors will no longer be able to stay in America indefinitely. They will be allowed to stay in the US for the duration of their educational program, but for a maximum of four years.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule in this regard. The department says that the purpose of this change is to increase transparency in the visa system, prevent alleged visa abuse and strengthen national security.
Will have to apply for additional time
According to the new rule, fixed period stay will now be applicable for non-immigrant visa holders of categories F (student), J (exchange visitor) and I (foreign media representative). If a student needs additional time to complete their studies, they must apply for an Extension of Stay (EOS) directly from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This process will also include biometric testing, background verification and fraud screening.
Grace period increased from 60 to 30 days
Another important change is that the grace period of 60 days for leaving the US after completion of studies, changing institute or changing visa category has been reduced to 30 days. Besides, the rules for changing educational programs have also been made more strict than before.
What did the DHS Secretary say?
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that due to the nearly five-decade-old system, many foreign students remained in America for years by continuously enrolling in new courses. According to him, the new system will increase the monitoring of the federal government and ensure that students return after completing their original objective of studies.
This rule will come into effect 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Currently, foreign students living in America under the Duration of Status system will also automatically come under the ambit of the new system and the maximum limit of their stay will be four years from the date of implementation of the rules.
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