The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday announced proposed immigration rule changes that would end the current “duration of status” system and introduce fixed admission periods for non-immigrant academic students (F), exchange visitors (J), and foreign information media representatives (I).
According to a notice issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the DHS is seeking to amend its regulations so that F, J and I visa holders are admitted for a specific period of stay rather than an indefinite duration tied solely to their compliance with visa conditions.
Under the proposal, those wishing to remain in the United States beyond their authorised period would be required to apply directly to DHS for an extension.
--Admission and extension periods for F (full-time students) and J (exchange visitors) would be limited to a maximum of four years.
--The grace period for F-1 students after completing studies would be reduced to 30 days, down from the current 60 days.
--Graduate-level F-1 students would face restrictions on switching programmes mid-course.
--A 240-day cap would be introduced for I (foreign media) visa holders.
DHS said the changes would enable immigration officers to “periodically and directly assess whether non-immigrants are complying with the conditions of their classifications and US immigration laws.”
The proposal reflects concerns about oversight and national security risks associated with the open-ended “duration of status” system.
The DHS explained that the existing system, which allows non-immigrants to stay in the US without a fixed end date, has limited the government’s ability to routinely verify compliance with visa rules. It also noted that a rising number of admissions has made monitoring more challenging.
In 2023 alone, the US admitted more than 16 lakh F-1 students, over 5,00,000 J exchange visitors, and 32,470 I visa holders.
DHS said the new framework would bring F, J, and I visas in line with most other non-immigrant categories that already operate under fixed admission periods. It added that “greater oversight would deter fraud and abuse and strengthen the integrity of these non-immigrant classifications.”