SaralnamaThe US government has introduced stricter rules for student visas from August 2025. The new policy requires closer checks on applicants’ backgrounds, beliefs, and immigration history. Student (F) and exchange visitor (J) visas will have fixed durations of up to four years instead of lasting the entire study period. Journalists’ (I) visas will be limited to 240 days or 90 days for Chinese and Hong Kong passport holders. Visa holders must apply for extensions to stay longer. These changes aim to improve monitoring but may create extra hurdles for about 1.6 million international students and others in the US. The US has also revoked over 6,000 visas for violations and increased scrutiny of work visas. This move could affect Indian students planning to study in the US from late 2025. (Updated 28 Aug 2025, 14:45 IST; source: link)