U.S. Government Announces 4-Year Limit on Student Visas; Impact Expected for 13,000 South Korean Students and Families

The Trump administration has imposed a four-year limit on the duration of stay for international students studying in the United States.

This move is expected to deal a significant blow to students who had planned their career paths with the intention of earning degrees in the U.S.

Exchange visitor programs will also be capped at four years, and visas for foreign journalists will be changed to a system requiring renewal every 240 days.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release on the 16th (local time) announcing the final rule, which limits the stay of international students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas to a maximum of four years.

Previously, F and J visa holders could effectively stay in the U.S. indefinitely through an automatic extension process until they completed their regular academic programs. Under the new rule, the duration of stay will be fixed.

If a stay beyond four years is required, individuals must go through an extension process with the DHS.

The DHS stated, "Extensions for student visas will only be granted after a rigorous review."

It is expected that obtaining approval for an extension will be difficult if students cannot clearly present their academic plans.

Students who have already entered the U.S. on student visas and are currently studying will also be automatically subject to the four-year stay rule.

The DHS also announced that it would place strict limitations on changing majors.

This is interpreted as an intention to carefully scrutinize the necessity of such changes if an extension of stay is required due to a change in major.

The DHS stated, "Since 1978, international students have been able to enter the U.S. without a fixed deadline, which has allowed thousands of students to become 'perpetual students' by continuously enrolling in classes to avoid leaving the country," adding, "This final rule will put an end to such abuses."

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said, "An outdated system has threatened national security and created an environment where immigration fraud is rampant," and added, "The final rule will allow international students to focus on their original purpose of completing their studies and returning to their home countries."

The DHS announced that the final rule would be published in the Federal Register within a few days.

The U.S. Federal Register website indicated that the rule is scheduled to be published on the 17th.

The new rule will take effect 60 days after publication.

Sixty days from now will be around mid-September.

For student visa holders, the new rule will effectively apply starting from the new semester in September.

The change in regulations is expected to cause significant confusion not only for international students already studying in the U.S. but also for students planning and preparing to study in the U.S. from South Korea and elsewhere.

There may be cases where students are hindered by the stay limit even if unforeseen situations arise, such as needing to change majors after realizing their initial choice does not suit their aptitude after arriving in the U.S.

For foreign journalists coming to the U.S. on I visas, the duration of stay will also be shortened to 240 days.

After that, they will need to renew their status every 240 days.

Journalists with Chinese nationality can renew their visas in even shorter 90-day increments.

Reuters reported that as of 2024, there were over 1.8 million student visa holders in the U.S., an 11% increase from the previous year.

As of 2024, there were 500,000 J visa holders and 37,000 I visa holders.

According to the South Korean Embassy in the U.S., as of 2025, there are 11,861 South Korean students staying in the U.S. on F-1 student visas, and 1,347 family members staying with them on F-2 visas.

There are 349 South Korean I visa holders.

Exchange visitors who entered the U.S. on J-1 visas number 7,985, with 3,180 family members.

This measure is a continuation of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration has been conducting large-scale arrest and deportation operations against illegal immigrants in the U.S., while also raising barriers for those staying in the U.S. through legal channels, such as by imposing a $100,000 fee on professional visas.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.