A new United States rule limiting F-1 and J-1 visas to a maximum of four years could force thousands of international students to leave before completing their degrees or research, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) has warned.
FIIDS urged US lawmakers, USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security to suspend the rule before it takes effect in mid-September.
According to FIIDS, the policy replaces the long-standing ‘duration of status’ system with a fixed four-year stay. It also counts Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT within the four-year limit, shortens the post-study grace period from 60 days to 30 days, and requires students to seek USCIS approval through Form I-539 for visa extensions.
FIIDS Chief of Policy and Strategy Khanderao Kand said the rule does not reflect the time required to complete many academic programmes. He noted that bachelor’s degrees typically take about 52 months, while doctoral programmes average nearly six years, adding that lengthy USCIS processing times could leave students
FIIDS warned that many doctoral, medical and research programmes last longer than four years, and uncertainty over extensions could disrupt research and delay graduations.
The group urged Congress to restore the duration-of-status system and called on USCIS and DHS to grant automatic extensions, exclude OPT from the four-year limit, restore the 60-day grace period and speed up visa processing.
FIIDS also said international enrolments fell 17 per cent in autumn 2025, costing the US more than $1.1 billion and nearly 23,000 jobs, and warned the new rule could weaken the country’s higher education and innovation sectors.
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