The Department of Homeland Security will cap student and exchange visitor admissions at four years, limit most foreign journalist stays to 240 days and impose new restrictions on transfers, academic changes and post-graduation departure periods.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration moved Thursday to impose fixed admission periods on foreign students, cultural exchange participants and international journalists, replacing rules that generally allow them to remain in the United States for the duration of their studies, programs or employment.
A final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security establishes specific time limits for F visas used by international students, J visas issued to exchange visitors and I visas provided to foreign media representatives.
The regulations are scheduled to take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.
Under the new system, students and exchange visitors generally would be admitted for no more than four years. Foreign journalists would be limited to stays of up to 240 days, while Chinese media representatives would receive admission periods of no more than 90 days.
Visa holders seeking to remain in the United States beyond their initial authorized period would be permitted to request extensions from DHS.
They could also seek a new period of admission by leaving the country and applying to reenter, according to the department.
The changes expand President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda beyond illegal immigration and place additional requirements on people entering the country through legal visa programs.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump’s administration has increased scrutiny of students and other legal immigrants, revoked student visas and green cards involving university students over their ideological views and removed legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants.
The latest rule creates additional procedural requirements for international students, exchange workers and foreign journalists who previously could remain for the duration of their approved activity without repeatedly seeking extensions.
DHS said the existing framework made it more difficult to monitor nonimmigrants who remained in the United States for prolonged periods.
The department cited significant growth in the number of people entering through the affected visa categories.
More than 1.8 million student visa admissions were recorded in 2024, representing an increase of more than 11% from the previous year, according to DHS.
The United States also issued visas to more than 500,000 exchange visitors and approximately 37,300 foreign media workers during fiscal year 2024, which began Oct. 1, 2023.
DHS said the substantial increase in those admissions “poses a challenge to DHS’s ability to monitor and oversee these non-immigrants while they are in the United States.”
The department also said it had identified numerous instances in which students and exchange visitors remained in the country for decades under visas originally connected to educational or cultural programs.
The final rule would require those individuals to receive affirmative approval before extending their stays beyond the fixed period granted at admission.
The regulations also include new restrictions on students changing schools or altering their academic plans.
Graduate students would be prohibited from changing their “educational objectives” after beginning their programs. They also would not be permitted to transfer to another institution without obtaining authorization.
The rule would reduce the period students are allowed to remain in the United States after completing a degree or training program from 60 days to 30 days.
That shorter departure window drew criticism from immigration policy advocates who said graduating students may not have sufficient time to secure employment sponsorship or make arrangements to leave the country.
“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, questioned the administration’s authority to restrict academic changes and school transfers.
Bier said there was no legal basis for the study and transfer limitations imposed through the new regulations.
“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,” Bier said. “Have these people no understanding of how life works?”
Supporters of the rule argue that fixed admission periods will give DHS more frequent opportunities to review whether students, exchange visitors and journalists continue to qualify for legal status.
Under the current duration-of-status system, a person may remain as long as the underlying academic program, exchange placement or media assignment continues and the visa holder follows applicable requirements.
The new framework would require an additional government review when the fixed period expires, even when the person’s studies, work or exchange program remains ongoing.
Foreign journalists would face particularly short renewal cycles compared with the existing system, under which an I visa can remain valid for years depending on the assignment.
Most media representatives would be admitted for no more than 240 days at a time.
Chinese journalists would face a substantially shorter 90-day limit, a provision that previously prompted objections from Beijing.
China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the proposed restriction in August, describing the different treatment of Chinese media workers as discriminatory.
The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The rule could require foreign correspondents assigned to long-term postings in the United States to repeatedly apply for extensions or travel abroad to seek readmission.
Students enrolled in programs lasting longer than four years could face similar requirements. Those pursuing extended undergraduate, graduate, medical or research programs would need DHS approval to remain after reaching the fixed admission limit.
Exchange participants whose programs extend beyond the initial authorized period would also be required to obtain an extension.
DHS presented the changes as a way to strengthen oversight and prevent individuals from remaining indefinitely under programs that may have ended or materially changed.
Critics said the regulations would create new uncertainty for schools, employers, research institutions, cultural organizations and news outlets that depend on foreign students and professionals.
Universities could face complications when students change research fields, revise degree plans or need more time to complete academic requirements.
The restriction on changing educational objectives could be particularly significant for graduate students, whose research focus may evolve as they work with faculty members, conduct experiments or respond to new findings.
The transfer authorization requirement could also limit students’ ability to move between institutions when academic, financial or personal circumstances change.
The reduction of the post-completion period from 60 days to 30 days would leave graduates less time to secure work sponsorship, change status, prepare to depart or resolve administrative issues.
DHS maintained that the increasing number of admissions and examples of exceptionally long stays demonstrate the need for more active oversight.
The final rule marks a major departure from the open-ended duration system that has governed the affected visa categories and replaces it with recurring deadlines enforced through extension applications or international travel.
Once the rule takes effect, foreign students and exchange visitors generally will face a four-year maximum initial admission, most journalists will receive no more than 240 days and Chinese media representatives will be limited to 90 days.
Those who need additional time will have to obtain affirmative approval from DHS or leave the United States and seek readmission before resuming their studies, exchanges or reporting assignments.
Original article
Comments