US caps student visas at four years, hitting Malaysian students
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- The Trump administration replaced the 'duration of status' system with fixed admission periods, capping F and J visas for foreign students and exchange visitors at four years.
- The new rules shorten the post-graduation grace period to leave or change visa status from 60 days to 30 days, and current visa holders automatically transition to the four-year cap from the effective date.
- Students needing more than four years must apply for an extension of stay through US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which will conduct background checks and biometric screening.
- Yasmin Muhaiddin, a 44-year-old Malaysian PhD student in Texas, said students now fear returning home for visa stamping because they may not be able to re-enter the US, risking lost time, money, and academic progress.
- The National Assembly of Malaysian Students in the United States of America (Namsa) advised students to review programme timelines to graduate on time and to use the shortened 30-day grace period strategically for employment plans.
- Muhammad Danish Azarisman, a 22-year-old molecular biology student at UCLA, said the policy doesn't hinder his studies but flagged concerns for incoming freshmen navigating the tighter framework.
Why it matters: Malaysian students who invested years and significant expense in US degrees now face a hard four-year deadline and a halved post-graduation window, with the real cost falling on those whose programmes run long or who need home visits for visa stamping—a logistical and financial trap the previous open-ended system never imposed.
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