Georgetown University, Washington D.C. [Reuters=Yonhap News]

The stay duration for international students studying in the United States will henceforth be limited to four years.

Students who planned their career paths with the intention of obtaining a degree in the U.S. are likely to face a significant blow. Exchange visitor programs will also be capped at four years, and visas for foreign correspondents will be modified to require extensions every 240 days.

According to Bloomberg and Reuters, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule in the Federal Register on the 16th (local time) that limits the stay of international students holding F visas to a maximum of four years.

Previously, students with visas could effectively stay in the U.S. indefinitely through an automatic extension process until they completed their regular academic programs. However, the system has now shifted to a fixed-term residency model.

If a stay beyond four years is required, students must go through an extension process with the DHS. Extensions may be denied if students fail to provide a clear explanation regarding their academic plans.

The DHS explained that the rapid increase in the number of individuals residing in the U.S. on student and exchange visitor visas has placed a strain on the department's ability to monitor them effectively.

The implementation of these revised regulations is likely to cause significant confusion for students in Korea and around the world who are planning and preparing to study in the U.S.

Bloomberg reported that there are approximately 1.2 million international students worldwide seeking to obtain degrees in the U.S. These students will be immediately and substantially affected by this change in policy.

Exchange visitors holding J visas will similarly have their stay limited to four years.

Foreign journalists entering the U.S. on I visas will be granted a stay of 240 days. Beyond that, they will need to apply for 240-day extensions.

However, journalists of Chinese nationality are limited to 90-day increments.

The DHS first proposed these regulations last August and collected public comments. Based on those inputs, the final rule was published in the Federal Register today and is expected to go into effect in 60 days.

In 60 days, it will be mid-September. This means the new regulations will apply to student visa holders starting from the new semester in September.

This measure is an extension of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement policies.

The Trump administration has been conducting large-scale operations to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants while simultaneously raising hurdles for those residing in the U.S. through legal channels, such as imposing a $100,000 fee for professional work visas.