Visa rules threaten US PhD completion for international students

The Donald Trump administration finalized a new F-1 visa rule limiting validity to four years for international students.

PhD students must seek visa extensions after four years, requiring additional screening and background checks by USCIS.

University of Texas-Austin professor Andreas Karch said finishing a PhD in four years is impossible.

MIT assistant professor Arvind Satyanarayan called the policy a disaster, noting CS PhDs take 5–6 years on average.

Harvard Kennedy School professor Maya Sen warned that visa extension denials could leave students out of status between years 4 and 5.