Student Visa Duration Limited to 4 Years; 13,000 Students and Family Members Affected

[Anchor]

The U.S. Trump administration has moved to limit the duration of stay for international students to a maximum of four years. With over 10,000 students already studying in the U.S. also subject to this change, significant confusion is expected.

Reporter Bae Seong-jae has the story.

[Reporter]

On July 16 local time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule limiting the stay of F-visa holders, which are student visas, to a maximum of four years.

Previously, student visa holders could stay indefinitely as their visas were automatically extended until they completed their regular courses. However, under the new rule, they must undergo a review by the Department of Homeland Security to receive visa extension approval after four years.

Regarding the review process, the department warned that "extensions will only be possible after a rigorous review."

This is interpreted as an intention to carefully scrutinize the necessity of extensions, such as when students must clearly present their academic plans or change their majors.

The new regulation applies not only to international students entering the U.S. in the future but also to those who have already received student visas and are currently studying in the country.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated, "Some international students have been able to become 'perpetual students' by continuously enrolling in classes to avoid leaving the country," adding that "this final rule change will stop the abuse of the system."

In addition, the stay duration for J-visas, which are for exchange visitors, will also be limited to four years, and I-visas issued to foreign journalists will be changed to a system requiring renewal every 240 days.

This regulation is scheduled to take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, and it is expected to be applied starting from the new semester in September.

According to the South Korean Embassy in the U.S., there are currently 11,861 South Korean students and 1,347 family members staying in the U.S. on student visas.

Considerable confusion is expected, as not only students currently studying in the U.S. but also those who had planned their career paths with the intention of obtaining degrees in the U.S. will need to revise their stay plans.

(Video Editing: Park Seon-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.