The Trump administration in the U.S. has proposed a new rule to put a time limit on how long students and exchange visitors can stay in the country.

This is part of Donald Trump’s push to tighten immigration rules and crack down on illegal entry, while also taking a firm stance on anti-semitism in U.S. universities.

The proposal, first introduced in 2020 during Trump’s earlier term, aims to replace the current flexible visa system. Right now, international students on F-1 visas and exchange visitors on J-1 visas are allowed to stay in the U.S. for as long as they maintain full-time studies or program requirements.

But under the new proposal, each visa would come with a fixed expiry date. After this time is up, students would have to apply for extensions to continue staying legally in the country.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already sent the proposal to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is one of the final steps before a rule is published officially in the Federal Register, where it becomes part of the public record.

More details about how long the fixed visa period will be or how the extension process would work haven’t been released yet.

Donald Trump’s policies toward immigration and education have toughened since he took office for a second term. He has openly criticized top universities and accused the previous administration of being too soft.

“Trump, who is seeking to eliminate anti-semitism on campuses and push his demands, had even accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of letting the universities off the hook,” the report said.

Recently, Harvard University became a major target. The White House froze $2.2 billion in federal funding and set conditions for the ban to be lifted. Harvard refused to comply, and in response, Trump barred foreign students from enrolling at the university. However, last month, a federal judge blocked Trump from enforcing this ban.

The Trump administration has also been working on a two-part plan to reduce the number of people living illegally in the U.S.

  1. The first track focuses on arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants, especially those with criminal records.

  2. The second track encourages self-deportation, using tools like registration programs, financial incentives, and public messaging to convince undocumented immigrants to leave on their own.

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