'Four Years Isn't Enough': South Korean Students Worried About New US Stay Limits

A new United States rule will limit how long international students can stay in the country to just four years. The US Department of Homeland Security announced the rule on July 16, and it is set to take effect in September. The rule affects students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas. South Korean students studying in the US are especially worried about what this change means for their futures.

Before this rule, international students could stay in the US for as long as they were enrolled in school or an exchange program. That system had been in place for decades. Now, students will have a four-year limit on their stay. If they need more time, they must apply to the government for an extension, which officials say will only be approved after a careful and strict review.

The Trump administration says the old system was being abused. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that thousands of foreign students had enrolled in classes just to avoid leaving the US. He said the new rule makes sure students stay focused on finishing their studies and going home. In 2024, more than 1.8 million people held US student visas — 11 percent more than the year before.

Many South Korean students are worried about a program called Optional Practical Training, or OPT. This program lets graduating students work in the US for up to one year. Students in science, technology, engineering, and math fields can work for up to three years. For many students, OPT is an important step toward getting a longer-term work visa or even permanent residency.

One student, Kim Se-hee, is 24 years old and attends a nursing school in Chicago. She still has three to four years of studying left before she can become a nurse. She fears the new rule will force her to leave before she gets a chance to start her career. 'Four years really isn't much time,' she told The Korea Herald.

Kim explained that she cannot speed up her studies, and there is no promise she will pass the nursing license exam on the first try. She also said the OPT application process itself takes time. If she has to go back to South Korea right after passing the exam, all her hard work in the US would feel wasted. Many other Korean students in similar programs share her worries.

Other students said the rule makes them unsure whether studying in the US is worth the risk. One person posted on Mijunmo, a popular online community for South Koreans interested in studying or living in the US. The person wrote that they worry about going to the US if the rules can change after they arrive. Some students said the four-year cap leaves no room for switching majors or taking extra time to figure out a career path.

According to the Korean Embassy in Washington, nearly 12,000 South Korean students were in the US on F-1 student visas in 2025. More than 1,300 of their family members were also there on F-2 visas. About 8,000 South Koreans were in the US as exchange visitors on J-1 visas, with roughly 3,200 dependents joining them. These numbers show just how many people are affected by the new rule.

The new rule also affects foreign journalists working in the United States. Journalists from other countries who enter on I visas will be allowed to stay for up to 240 days at a time and must apply to extend their stay every 240 days. Chinese journalists face an even shorter limit of just 90 days per stay. This part of the rule has raised concerns beyond the student community as well.