US court blocks Trump's new visa rules for foreign students

Washington: A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking a Trump administration rule that would have capped the duration of stays for foreign students, journalists, and exchange visitors.

The judge ruled that the new policy would likely cause 'catastrophic' damage to the US economy and higher-education system, rejecting the government's claims of national security necessity.

The blocked rule had set a four-year limit on student and exchange visitor visas and a 240-day limit for journalists (90 days for Chinese mediapersons), with no provision to appeal denied extensions.

The injunction applies nationwide, preventing the implementation of the rule while the case proceeds in court, benefiting nearly 600 public and private institutions represented by the plaintiffs.

The judge also raised concerns about potential abuse, specifically noting the likelihood that visas of foreign journalists critical of the government might not be renewed.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration rule that sought to put a cap on stays of foreign students, journalists and exchange visitors, a day before it was to come into effect.

A Massachusetts district judge on Monday ruled that the new policy would probably cause 'catastrophic' damage to the US economy and higher-education system, rejecting the government's claims that it was needed to protect the country.

The decision would provide some relief to international students in the US, including many from India. The Trump administration rule, finalised in July, put a four-year limit on student and exchange visitor visas, and a 240-day limit on journalists' visas, barring China. Mediapersons from China had a 90-day limit on visas issued to them as per the now-postponed rule.

The rule, which was to come into effect from Tuesday, allowed students and journalists to apply for extensions, but approval was at the discretion of officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with no provision to appeal the denial of extension. The rule would have ended the decades-old duration of status system under which foreign students generally were allowed to remain in the US while pursuing their academic programmes, subject to maintaining their status.

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