The United States has introduced new immigration regulations that impose fixed time limits on visas for international students, cultural exchange participants, and foreign journalists as part of efforts to tighten immigration controls.
The new rule, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), replaces the current system that allows F, J and I visa holders to remain in the country for the duration of their studies, exchange programme or employment.
Under the new policy, student and exchange visitor visas will be limited to a maximum of four years, while visas for foreign journalists will be valid for up to 240 days. Journalists from China will receive visas valid for no more than 90 days.
The department said visa holders wishing to remain beyond their approved period would be required to apply for an extension or leave the United States and seek readmission.
The latest measure forms part of the Trump administration’s wider immigration crackdown since President Trump returned to office in January 2025. The administration has tightened scrutiny of legal immigration, including revoking student visas and permanent resident status in some cases.
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The regulations also impose new restrictions on international students. Graduate students will not be allowed to change their “educational objectives” or transfer to another institution without authorisation. In addition, the period allowed for students to remain in the country after completing their studies has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
Defending the new rule, DHS said the sharp increase in temporary visa admissions had made it more difficult to monitor compliance.
According to the department, more than 1.8 million student visa admissions were recorded in 2024, representing an increase of more than 11 per cent over the previous year. It added that the United States also granted visas to more than 500,000 exchange visitors and 37,300 members of the foreign media during the 2024 fiscal year.
The department said the significant rise in visa holders “poses a challenge to DHS’s ability to monitor and oversee these non-immigrants while they are in the United States.”
It also noted that it had “many examples of students and exchange visitors staying for decades on their visas.”
However, the regulations have attracted criticism from immigration experts.
Doug Rand, a former DHS official, said: “Most Americans understand the value of welcoming international students and getting rid of needless red tape. This rule would do the opposite.”
David J. Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, questioned the legal basis for the new restrictions.
He said there was no legal justification for limiting students’ ability to transfer institutions or change their course of study, adding: “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?”
The policy has also drawn objections from China. In August, China’s Foreign Ministry described the proposed restrictions on Chinese journalists as discriminatory, although the Chinese Embassy did not immediately comment on the final rule.
Under the new regulations, foreign nationals seeking to remain in the United States beyond their fixed period of admission must either obtain an extension from DHS or leave the country and apply for readmission.
Reuters
