The administration of US President Donald Trump moved on Thursday to tighten rules on the duration of US visas for foreign students, exchange programme participants and journalists, in a further step to restrict both legal and illegal immigration.
A final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduces fixed periods of stay for F visas for international students, J visas for cultural and work exchange visitors, and I visas for foreign media representatives.
Currently, such visas are typically granted for the duration of a programme, course of study or employment based in the United States. The new rule is set to take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.
Under the changes, student and exchange visas will not exceed four years. Visas for journalists – which can currently last for years – will be limited to up to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals, though extensions may be requested.
The move forms part of a broader immigration crackdown launched after Trump returned to office in January 2025, which has included revoking student visas and green cards on ideological grounds and stripping hundreds of thousands of migrants of legal status.
DHS said the changes were driven in part by a sharp increase in visa holders, which it said was straining oversight capacity. In 2024, there were more than 1.8 million admissions on student visas, up over 11% from the previous year.
The United States also issued visas to more than 500,000 exchange visitors and 37,300 members of the media in the 2024 fiscal year, which began on 1 October 2023, according to DHS data.
The significant rise in these visitors poses challenges for the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to monitor and oversee non-immigrants while they are in the United States, the department said, citing cases of students and exchange participants remaining in the country for decades under existing visa arrangements.
Under the new framework, visa holders seeking to remain beyond their authorised stay must apply for an extension through DHS or leave the country and reapply for entry.
The rule is expected to create new hurdles for international students, exchange workers and foreign reporters seeking to study or work in the United States.
Source: CNA
