In a statement released Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the planned rule is aimed at curbing visa abuse and strengthening the agency’s ability to properly vet foreign visitors.

If approved, student visas would be capped at a maximum of four years. This would replace the current system that allows students to remain in the country for as long as they stay enrolled in an approved program. DHS argued that the existing arrangement has enabled some to remain in the US indefinitely, enrolling in successive courses to prolong their stay.

“For too long, past administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain virtually indefinitely, posing risks, draining taxpayer resources, and disadvantaging American citizens,” a DHS spokesperson explained. “This new rule would put an end to that abuse by limiting how long visa holders can stay, while making oversight more efficient.”

Foreign journalists would also face new restrictions under the proposal, with an initial stay of 240 days, renewable for another 240 days, but only up to the length of their official assignments. Under current rules, journalists’ stays are tied to the duration of their work contracts or postings, without a fixed timeline.

DHS said the reform would improve monitoring by giving the government clearer access to information on foreign nationals.

The policy was first introduced in 2020 under Trump but was later withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021. Its revival marks a renewed push to tighten immigration rules and reduce the number of foreigners residing in the United States.