US changes visa rules for foreign students and journalists

President Donald Trump's administration took steps today to limit the duration of visas for foreign students, participants in cultural exchange programs and journalists, according to a government announcement.

The new final rule from the Department of Homeland Security introduces a fixed time period for F visas, which are intended for international students, J visas, which allow participants in cultural exchange programs to work in the United States, and I visas for members of the media. These visas are currently valid for the duration of the program or employment in the United States.

The rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to mandatory Congressional review.

Republican President Donald Trump has launched a broad crackdown on immigration after taking office in January 2025. The latest measure would create new barriers for international students, exchange program participants and foreign journalists.

The Trump administration has tightened controls on legal immigration, revoking student visas and green cards for university students because of their ideological views and revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

Under the new regulation, student and exchange visas could be valid for up to four years. Journalist visas, which can currently last for years, would be valid for up to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese citizens.

Visa holders could apply for an extension, the rule states.

The ministry cited a sharp increase in the number of these visas in its explanation. It stated that in 2024, more than 1,8 million entries into the country on student visas were recorded, an increase of more than 11 percent compared to the previous year.

The United States approved visas for more than 500.000 exchange program participants and 37.300 media representatives in fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, 2023, the Department said.

The significant growth in the number of such visitors "poses a challenge to the Department of Homeland Security's ability to monitor and track these nonimmigrants while they are in the United States," the department said.

The ministry said it has numerous examples of students and exchange program participants who have remained in the country for decades on the basis of these visas.

Visa holders who wish to remain in the U.S. beyond their fixed authorized period of stay will have to apply to the Department for an extension or regain entry by traveling abroad and then returning to the U.S., the new rule states.