The Trump administration is moving to tighten visa regulations, impacting those residing in the United States on various visas. A proposed government rule, released on Wednesday, introduces time limits for visas for students, exchange visitors, and foreign media personnel. This change means that these visa holders will no longer be granted visas without an expiration date but rather for a specific, limited period.
This new step will create additional challenges for international students, exchange workers, and foreign journalists. The proposed rule will set a fixed time limit for F visas for international students, J visas for exchange visitors, and I visas for media personnel. Currently, these visas are valid for the entire duration of the program or employment in the US.
Previously, if a student (on an F visa) went to the US to study, their visa was valid until the completion of their studies (e.g., 2 years for a 2-year course). If an exchange visitor (on a J visa) went for a cultural or research program, their visa was valid for the duration of that program. If a journalist (on an I visa) went to work in American media, their visa remained valid until their employment ended. There was no fixed time limit on the visa, instead, its validity depended on the work or program, but now a time limit will be set.
The proposed rule states that the duration for students and exchange visitors will not exceed four years. For journalists, visas, which can currently last for years, will be limited to 240 days, or 90 days in the case of individuals holding passports from China and Hong Kong. The proposal also mentions that visa holders can apply for an extension.
The administration stated that these changes are necessary for better monitoring and oversight of visa holders while they are in the US. The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposal.
According to US government data, in 2024, there were approximately 1.6 million international students on F visas in the US. The US issued visas to nearly 355,000 exchange visitors and 13,000 media personnel in fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, 2023.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that for too long, previous administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to stay in the US almost indefinitely, creating security risks and causing harm to American citizens. This new proposed rule will eliminate this misuse by limiting the stay of some visa holders in the US.