The F-1 US Visa is a nonimmigrant US visa that allows prospective talented students to come to the United States to pursue their education at either the Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate Level in a program that is of 10 months or more.
For years, the F-1 Visa has been a relatively seamless method of obtaining entry into the United States to further one’s career, upon the event of mounting a robust case in front of the consular officer, which includes factors like willingness to study in a legitimate program, well defined career objectives and financial ability, amongst other factors. The Visa had also shown a sustained approval rate in recent years such as a record high of an 80.17% rate in 2021.1 In recent years, however, the approval rate has seen a litany of scrutiny, only seeing approval rates for applicants who have shown a genuine promise to study, which has added a painstaking layer to their dreams of studying in the United States. This has likely coincided with the new Trump administration throwing a wrench into the plans of students worldwide and making it all the more arduous to gain entry onto US soil.
Very recently, as Trump has enjoyed a turnaround and has been allowed to ascend to the office of the President for his second term, this time with more bargaining power in the US Congress by virtue of the strongest Republican representation his office has ever seen, he has mulled over overhauling the F-1 program and the, in his belief, lax conditions it has been associated with. In August of 2025, the Department of Homeland Security, that comes under the province of the President, proposed a new rule to eliminate the indefinite “Duration of Status” classification students in the United States enjoyed which permitted them to extend the length of their program due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control to complete their education and stay without having to depart the US for consular approval. This privilege also allowed students to reenroll in another degree program, either at the same or a higher level to maintain lawful presence in the United States. What is worth noting is that this rule has only been proposed and has not been formalized into law as of yet, which could be a source of respite for some students hoping to go to or already in the United States.
There had also been further rules imposed in the heydays of the second Trump administration, which included the arbitrary termination of students’ SEVIS statuses, which was a way of keeping a record of their presence in the United States, which put into jeopardy their statutes and put further scrutiny on employment reporting obligations after a student’s graduation from their respective programs. Another point to note is that these policies, upon receiving fervor and backlash against them, were largely rolled back.