Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Jul 20: A leading Indian diaspora policy organisation has expressed concern over a new US rule that would impose a four-year limit on F-1 and J-1 visas, warning that the move could force thousands of international students and researchers to leave the country before completing their academic programmes.

The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) has appealed to lawmakers and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to suspend the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security's new regulation, which it says was finalised on July 16-17 and is expected to come into effect in mid-September.

According to FIIDS, the new policy replaces the long-standing "duration of status" system with a fixed four-year stay for F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor visas. The rule also counts time spent under Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT within the four-year limit.

The organisation further noted that the regulation reduces the post-study grace period from 60 days to 30 days and requires students seeking additional time to obtain approval from USCIS through Form I-539.

FIIDS Chief of Policy and Strategy Khanderao Kand criticised the move, arguing that the four-year cap does not reflect the actual duration of most higher education programmes in the United States.

He pointed out that the average time required to complete a bachelor's degree is around 52 months, while doctoral programmes typically take nearly 5.7 years. Kand also highlighted that USCIS is currently handling a backlog of more than 11 million cases, with many applications taking close to a year to process.

He warned that students could be compelled to leave the country before completing their degrees or research projects, affecting universities, laboratories and America's broader innovation ecosystem.

FIIDS said the impact would be particularly severe for research-intensive academic programmes, including PhD courses, medical education and J-1 research fellowships, many of which routinely extend beyond four years. The organisation cautioned that uncertainty over visa extensions could interrupt research, delay graduations and complicate faculty recruitment dependent on international scholars.

Calling for immediate intervention, Kand urged the government to postpone implementation of the rule while ensuring that safeguards are put in place to protect students and preserve the country's research capabilities.

The organisation also appealed to Congress to reinstate the duration-of-status framework for F-1 and J-1 visa holders. Additionally, it proposed exemptions for graduate and STEM programmes whose normal completion periods exceed four years, allowing eligible students to remain for up to 64 months through automatic extensions.

FIIDS further recommended that USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security introduce temporary administrative measures before the rule takes effect. These include granting automatic extensions to students in good academic standing, excluding OPT and STEM OPT periods from the four-year limit, speeding up Form I-539 processing and restoring the earlier 60-day grace period after programme completion.

Highlighting the broader economic impact, FIIDS said new international student enrolments declined by 17 per cent in the autumn of 2025—the sharpest fall since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the organisation, the drop resulted in an estimated loss of more than $1.1 billion in revenue and nearly 23,000 jobs, underscoring the significant contribution international students make to the US economy.