The Trump Administration may limit student visas for individuals from 59 countries to two years in length, Vox reports.
Currently, Vox notes that student visas are good for however long individuals are enrolled in their course of study and that this change could make it more difficult for thousands of students to receive a degree from a US university or college. The US Department of Homeland Security, which proposed the new rule, says the limit would better enable it to identify potential threats and visa overstays. After two years, Vox notes students would have to apply for an extension, but it notes that it is unclear whether the department would approve or deny requests for extensions to complete a typical four-year undergraduate degree or a longer PhD degree.
The rule particularly targets individuals from countries on the State Department's State Sponsors of Terrorism list, such as Iran, Sydran, Sudan, and North Korea, and from countries with a high rate of visa overstays, such as Vietnam, Nigeria, and Nepal, Vox adds.
The Trump Administration previously imposed a travel ban on individuals from certain countries, and this year, sought to strip international students taking only online courses due to the pandemic of their visas, though that plan was rescinded.