The US government is preparing to impose stricter visa rules for foreign students in the country.
The new rules, which the Ministry of Internal Security announced will be implemented in September, include articles such as limiting the stay of foreign students in the country to four years.
According to the new rules, students will need to get permission from the government to stay in the country at the end of the four-year study period. According to existing rules, educational institutions had the authority to extend students' visas.
Opportunities to change programs and transfer between universities and colleges will also be restricted.
The Department of Homeland Security explained that the reason for the new rules is to "combat widespread visa abuse and strengthen national security."
The International Association of Educators criticized the new rules as "misguided and unnecessary."
Previously, foreign students who came with F-1 visas and J-1 exchange visas were accepted to the USA under "permanent residence permit"; This allowed them to stay in the country until they completed their education.
The new rules impose a time limit on this stay.
“Foreign students have been admitted to the United States indefinitely for decades, resulting in thousands of students abusing our immigration system by constantly enrolling in new courses to avoid having to leave the United States,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
Although most undergraduate programs in the United States generally last four years, master's programs such as doctorates often take longer.
It is known that most international students in the USA are enrolled in graduate programs, especially in science and technology fields.
It usually takes longer for these programs to be completed and the research results to be published as scientific publications.
Insufficiency in research funds and personal circumstances of students may also cause the duration of education to be extended.
Under the new rules, the time allowed for foreign students to leave the USA or switch to a different visa type after graduation has also been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
Among those criticizing the new rules is NAFSA (the Association of International Educators), a nonprofit organization that advises schools on foreign student enrollment.
NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw said that the new regulation "injects uncertainty, bureaucracy and fear into a system that has been operating effectively for many years" and argued that there is no sufficient justification for this regulation.
The new rules are part of the Donald Trump administration's broader approach to reduce the number of foreign students and restrict immigration to the United States.
The Trump administration has previously tried to limit the number of foreign students at some elite universities and attempted to cancel the visas of students who criticize US foreign policy.
The regulations, which are expected to come into force in September, also restrict the visas given to journalists.
The journalist visa, known as "I Visa", can be issued for several years according to current rules.
However, the new rules stipulate that this visa will be limited to 240 days. In fact, if the journalist is Chinese, their visa will be limited to 90 days.
We used artificial intelligence in the translation of this article, which was originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. .