America will take strict measures to stop visa abuse; limits will be imposed on student migration

International news: New rules proposed to prevent visa abuse: The United States has prepared for major changes to prevent visa abuse and tighten monitoring. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed that the duration of stay in the country of foreign students and some other visa holders will now be tied to a fixed time limit.

DHS's argument

A DHS spokesperson said that this step will help eliminate visa abuse and reduce the additional burden on the government. According to the spokesperson, for a long time, foreign students and other visa holders have been staying in the US almost indefinitely. This increased the security risk, put an economic burden on taxpayers, and affected the interests of American citizens.

What was the arrangement till now?

Since 1978, F-visa holders have been allowed to enter the US for an unspecified period of time, called duration of status. Under this arrangement, students could stay for years without any additional scrutiny. According to US Health Services, many students took advantage of this provision and became permanent students, which is against the spirit of the regulation.

DHS has clarified that further, foreign students and those involved in exchange programs will be admitted only for the duration of their course. This period will not exceed a maximum of four years. The initial period for foreign media representatives will be fixed at 240 days. If needed, they can get an additional extension of 240 days, but this period will not exceed their temporary tenure.

Application for extension of stay is mandatory

According to the new rules, students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives will have to apply to USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) if they want to stay in the US beyond the prescribed time. Through this process, regular evaluation will be done, and additional stay will be allowed only if a valid reason is found.

Signs and effects

The US administration believes that these rules will increase transparency and ensure that visa holders are limited to their original purpose. However, experts say that this will affect those students who want to stay in the US for a long time for higher education or research programs.