US introduces four-year stay limit for international students, tightens visa rules

The United States has announced sweeping changes to its student visa policy, introducing a four-year limit on the stay of most international students and exchange visitors under a new rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The policy, unveiled on Thursday by the Trump administration, replaces the long-standing “duration of status” system that allowed holders of F and J visas to remain in the country for as long as they maintained their academic or exchange programmes.

Under the new regulation, international students and exchange visitors will be required to obtain federal approval to remain in the United States beyond four years, even if they have not completed their studies, are pursuing postgraduate education, or qualify for work experience linked to their academic programmes.

The rule is expected to affect approximately 1.5 million international students and exchange visitors currently residing in the United States.

Unlike the previous policy, the new rule will also apply to students already studying in the United States on F and J visas. Their four-year period will begin from the regulation’s effective date, irrespective of when they entered the country or the duration of their academic programmes.

Students requiring additional time—including doctoral candidates, medical residents, researchers and others enrolled in long-term programmes—must submit formal extension applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Applicants will also be required to complete biometric screening and pay processing fees before receiving approval to remain.

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According to the DHS, students who remain in the country beyond the four-year limit without authorization could face three-year or ten-year bans on re-entering the United States, depending on the length of their overstay.

The regulation also introduces additional restrictions across the student visa system.

Among the changes are a shorter grace period for students to leave the United States after completing their studies and tighter controls on transferring between educational institutions.

Foreign journalists holding I visas will also be affected, with their authorised stay limited to approximately eight months unless an extension is approved.

U.S. administration officials said the reforms are aimed at reducing visa fraud, curbing overstays and strengthening national security by establishing fixed periods of admission for non-immigrant visa holders.

The latest policy represents another major shift in U.S. immigration rules affecting international students, including Nigerians.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria clarified that Nigerians already holding valid F-1 and J-1 student and exchange visas would not be affected by Presidential Proclamation 10998, despite Nigeria’s inclusion among 19 countries subject to partial visa suspensions from January 1, 2026.

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Although the proclamation initially covered F, M and J visas alongside some visitor and immigrant visa categories, U.S. authorities later confirmed that holders of valid F-1 and J-1 visas could continue their academic programmes without interruption.

However, the new DHS regulation goes beyond travel restrictions by directly limiting how long international students may remain in the United States, requiring federal approval for any stay extending beyond four years.

The latest measure is part of a broader tightening of U.S. immigration policy under the Trump administration.

In May 2026, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that most foreign nationals temporarily residing in the United States—including Nigerians—would generally be required to return to their home countries to apply for permanent residency (Green Cards), rather than adjusting their immigration status from within the country.

The administration also revised visa reciprocity arrangements for Nigerians in July 2025, reducing most newly issued non-immigrant visas to single-entry visas valid for three months, replacing the previous multi-entry, longer-validity system.

The new four-year limit marks one of the most significant overhauls of the U.S. student visa framework in decades and is expected to reshape how international students plan long-term academic and professional opportunities in the country.