# US judge blocks Trump’s four-year cap on student visas 2026-09-15T05:01:43+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets A US federal judge on Monday blocked a Trump administration rule that would have capped the duration of student and journalist visas at four years or 240 days, replacing the decades-old 'duration of status' system. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, calling the Department of Homeland Security's national security rationale 'exceptionally weak' and warning the damage to universities and the economy would be 'catastrophic'. The rule, due to take effect Tuesday, would have required doctoral students and others needing longer studies to apply for extensions, tightened programme transfers, and cut the post-graduation grace period to 30 days. A coalition of higher education groups and unions sued. Times Now reports the next hearing is set for October 2, and the ruling does not permanently kill the regulation. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Times of India and Al Jazeera both lead with the judge's ruling and his warning of 'catastrophic' damage, but Al Jazeera frames the story as part of a broader immigration crackdown, pairing the visa cap with a separate green card lawsuit. Times Now leads with the relief for Indian students and cites falling international applications, a slant toward the impact on a key foreign-student group. All three quote the judge's 'exceptionally weak' rationale, but Times Now includes the government's defence against 'abuse', giving the administration some voice. The core fact is not in dispute: a preliminary injunction blocked the four-year cap on October 1, and the next hearing is October 2. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with relief for Indian students, cites application declines - timesnownews.com (government critical) Leads with judge's 'catastrophic' warning, pairs with green card suit - aljazeera.com (government critical) Leads with setback, covers both visa cap and green card challenge Tags: Boston, Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump, F. Dennis Saylor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-judge-blocks-trump-cap-on-foreign-student-and-journalist-visas/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-judge-blocks-trump-cap-on-foreign-student-and-journalist-visas/#story-in-brief