US court blocks Trump administration's four-year visa rule for international students and researchers

US federal court blocks Trump administration's four-year visa rule for international students, researchers, blocking Sept 15 implementation. In a major reprieve for international students, researchers, academics and foreign journalists, a US federal district court has blocked the Trump administration from implementing a new rule that would replace the longstanding ‘duration of status’ system with fixed periods of admission.The district court’s order means that the new framework, which was scheduled to take effect on Sept 15, cannot be implemented for now. The existing duration-of-status framework therefore remains in place nationwide.US District Judge F Dennis Saylor IV of the District of Massachusetts on Monday granted preliminary relief to organisations representing higher education institutions, international educators, journalists and others. The district court postponed the effective date of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) final rule, while litigation challenging its legality continues.TOI had earlier analysed the new rule.Also read: Trump administration limits visa tenure of students to a fixed period of four years and limits academic flexibilityInternational stud...