The U.S. Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule setting new restrictions on the issuance of visas to foreign students, arrivals under exchange programs, and international journalists. The full version of the document was published on the website of the Federal Register of the USA on September 25. The new norms concerning students were primarily criticized.
As Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Policy Counsel at the American Immigration Council, said on Twitter, according to the proposed rule, nationals and people born in the countries included in the corresponding list will not be able to obtain a four-year degree at a university, as their student visa will only be limited to a maximum of two years.
Kyrgyzstan was included in this list along with Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the states of the Middle East, Africa and others.
Most of these countries were included in the list because more than 10 percent of their citizens remain in the United States after expiration of their visas.
In addition, it is proposed to limit the duration of student visa to two years for citizens of the countries included in the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and for those whose university is not accredited or does not use E-Verify.
Students who are banned from a visa for more than two years will be able to apply for a visa again during their education in order to complete it, but obtaining a visa is not guaranteed — the procedure could be expensive and denials are possible.
