Aiming to curb visa abuse in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the US government has proposed new regulations to limit the time of certain visa holders, including foreign students, who are allowed to stay in the country.
In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said the proposed new regulations would help in ending visa abuse "by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed" to stay in the country.
This, the DHS spokesperson said, would ease the burden on the federal government to oversee foreign students and their history properly.
"For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens," the spokesperson said.
What is the rule for foreign students?
Since 1978, F visa holders have been allowed to enter the US for an unspecified time, which is known as 'duration of status'. Such visa holders can stay in the US indefinitely "without further screening and vetting". However, the US DHS claims that F visa holders have been taking advantage of this regulation, becoming "forever students".
What do the new rules propose?
The new rules would set authorised "admission and extension periods for foreign students and exchange visitors up to the duration of the program they are participating in, not to exceed a 4-year period," as per the US DHS.
According to the new rules, the initial admission period for foreign media representatives would be 240 days. They would be eligible for an extension of 240 days, "but no longer than the length of the temporary activity or assignment."
"Additionally, admitting foreign students, exchange, and foreign media classifications for a fixed period of time would require said aliens to for apply for authorization to extend their stay with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), therefore requiring regular assessments by DHS for the alien to remain in the U.S. for a longer period," the US DHS said.
