New four-year US student visa limit could force international research PhDs to leave country mid-programme

The Trump administration has officially ended a policy, in place for more than 45 years, that allowed international students and researchers to overstay their visas until their studies are finished. Instead, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule imposing a new four-year time limit on visas for international students and researchers with F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor status. Chemistry and other research PhDs typically take five years to complete in the US and under the new rule students could be forced to leave the US for their home country – potentially at great expense – simply to secure an extension to keep studying. Higher education groups are pushing back against the new requirements, which are set to take effect on 15 September.