DHS Caps Student Visa Stays at 4 Years, Pressuring Massachusetts Colleges

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jul 20

The Department of Homeland Security last week limited most student visa holders to four-year stays unless they win extensions, ending a longstanding open-ended policy tied to academic progress.
The change lands as the Trump administration also prepares grant rules giving political appointees final say over federal awards, a shift expected to hit health and science research especially hard.
Massachusetts faces an outsized risk because its universities and labs rely heavily on international students and research funding; the state receives more NIH money per capita than any other.
International enrollment has already fallen about 20% over the past year as the administration pushed higher visa costs and cancellations, even with courts blocking some efforts.