WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will prevent international students from staying in the U.S. for more than four years unless they obtain the federal government’s approval, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday, announcing a departure from long-standing practice.

The rule, which goes into effect in September, also puts in place restrictions on when and how students may change their major or academic program.

Current rules give students significantly more flexibility. They are generally admitted to the U.S. for as long as it takes to complete the academic program, many of which are longer than four years by design.

Higher education leaders have opposed the rule, arguing the change creates an administrative burden for schools, universities and the federal government.

“This action is unnecessary and duplicative,” said Zuzana Wootson, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonprofit organization. “International students are already among the most closely monitored nonimmigrant populations in the U.S. and are subject to rigorous oversight by DHS and academic institutions.”

In a statement, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the rule as cracking down on a loophole that international students were exploiting by extending their studies.

“By implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders,” Mullin said. “This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home.”

The rule is the latest in a series of Trump administration crackdowns on international students. Last spring, widespread terminations of students’ legal status sent students scrambling to hide or leave the country out of fear they would be detained for being in the U.S. illegally.

The federal government also imposed a requirement for visa applicants to share their social media handles, subjecting them to increased scrutiny. And travel bans affecting more than a dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia further limited international students’ ability to obtain a visa and enter the U.S. for school.

The rule comes as international student enrollment is declining. The effects are most acutely felt at schools with small endowments and student bodies that enroll a large percentage of international students, who have been recruited from abroad. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid and, as a result, often pay full-price tuition.

Higher education leaders have warned the growing uncertainty could further drive international students elsewhere, with ripple effects throughout the workforce and the economy.

“At a time when global competition for talent is intensifying, this policy sends exactly the wrong message,” Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association that represents international education, said in a statement. “It tells the world’s brightest students and scholars that the United States is becoming less welcoming, less predictable, and less committed.”

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