Student Visa Holders Barred From Changing Courses in the First Year Under New US Rule

Student Visa: The Department of State for Security (DHS) has proposed new restrictions that could limit the flexibility of international students studying on F-1 visas. Under the plan, graduate students will not be allowed to change programmes, subjects, or education levels in their first year of study.

As noted in a report by Fragomen, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) can only grant exceptions in circumstances such as school closures or prolonged disruptions due to a natural disaster.

Also, once a student completes a programme at a certain level, he or she will not be eligible to return under F-1 status for another programme of the same or lower level.

The suggested regulation indicates that technical improvements to the SEVIS system would be required to implement these revisions, and that DHS could defer or halt them if implementation proves impractical. This limit on student visas is part of a broader reform that aims to amend visa provisions for immigrants, including international students.

As per the newly established guidelines, international students will be allowed to stay on their visas for a set period of up to four years, with a short grace period of 30 days. Students who need additional time will have to submit a request for an extension through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, resulting in new documentation and expenses.

This limit on student visas is part of a broader reform aimed at changing visa provisions for immigrants, including international students. As per the new guidelines, international students will be allowed to stay for a fixed period of up to four years, with a short grace period of 30 days. Students who need additional time will have to submit an extension request to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which will involve additional documentation and expenses.

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