US caps student visas, limits Chinese journalist stays to 90 days

The Trump administration on Thursday moved to tighten the duration of visas for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists. A new final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) creates fixed periods of admission for F visas for international students, J visas for cultural exchange visitors and I visas for members of the media. Those visas are currently granted for the duration of a programme or employment in the United States. The rule takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review. President Donald Trump, a Republican, launched a broad immigration crackdown after taking office in January 2025. His administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration, revoking student visas and green cards over ideological views and stripping legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants. The latest measure would create new hurdles for international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists. Under the new regulations, F and J visa holders would be admitted for no more than four years. I visas for journalists, which can currently remain valid for years, would be limited to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals. Visa holders would be able to apply for extensions, DHS said. China's foreign ministry opposed the proposed restrictions on Chinese journalists when the rule was introduced in August, calling them discriminatory. The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Student restrictions The regulations prohibit graduate students from changing their educational objectives or transferring to another institution without authorisation. They also reduce the grace period after completing a degree or training from 60 days to 30 days. Read More: Houthi leader calls US, Israel ‘source of evil, instability in world’ "Most Americans understand the value of welcoming international students and getting rid of needless red tape," said Doug Rand, a former DHS official. "This rule would do the opposite." David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, said the new restrictions on study and school transfers lacked a legal basis. "International students, many of whom will have spent years in the USA, will now have just 30 days to find an employer to sponsor them or immediately be turned into illegal immigrants. Have these people no understanding of how life works?" he said. DHS said the changes were prompted by a sharp rise in visa admissions. More than 1.8 million student visa admissions were recorded in 2024, an increase of more than 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 during fiscal year 2024, which began on Oct. 1, 2023. The growing number of visitors "poses a challenge to DHS's ability to monitor and oversee these non-immigrants while they are in the United States," the department said, adding it had numerous examples of students and exchange visitors remaining in the country for decades under the current system. Visa holders wishing to remain in the United States beyond their fixed admission period would need to apply to DHS for an extension or leave the country and seek readmission, the department said.