New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- A US federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration rule that sought to replace the decades-old "duration of status" system for foreign students with fixed-term admissions, including a four-year cap for most international students.

The ruling by Massachusetts District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV came just a day before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule was scheduled to take effect. The judge said the policy was likely to cause "catastrophic" damage to the US higher-education system and economy and found that DHS had failed to comply with requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act.

The decision offers temporary relief to international students in the US, including a large Indian stu...