Trump Slashes Visas for International Students and Journalists, Sharply Cutting Length of Stay

【Financial News, New York = Lee Byung-chul】 The Trump administration is moving to significantly tighten visa rules for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors, and foreign journalists. In particular, the I visa for foreign reporters, which had effectively allowed indefinite stays, will now be limited to a maximum of 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals, forcing repeated renewal procedures and likely bringing major changes to reporting conditions.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on the 16th local time that it had finalized a revision to the nonimmigrant visa rules containing these measures. The new rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register and will undergo congressional review.
The biggest change is the shift of all visas that previously allowed stays for the duration of a program or assignment to a fixed-period system.
International students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas will be limited to a maximum stay of four years. Foreign journalists on I visas will be allowed to stay for up to 240 days, while Chinese journalists will be limited to 90 days. Extensions will still be possible.
Since taking office in 2025, the Trump administration has sharply tightened scrutiny not only on illegal immigration but also on legal immigration. After revoking student visas, permanent residency, and legal status, it is now expanding oversight to include international students, exchange trainees, and foreign media workers.
Restrictions on international students will also become stricter.
The new rule bars graduate students from changing their academic objectives or transferring to another school without government approval. The grace period for remaining in the United States after completing a degree or training program will also be cut in half, from 60 days to 30 days.
The Department of Homeland Security said the tougher rules were introduced because the recent surge in related visas has increased the burden of management.
According to the department, more than 1.8 million student visa holders entered the country last year, up more than 11% from the previous year. In fiscal 2024, visas were issued to more than 500,000 cultural exchange visitors and 37,300 foreign journalists.
“As the number of visitors has grown significantly, it has become more difficult to monitor and manage their stays in the United States,” DHS said. “We have also identified many cases in which students and exchange visitors remained in the country for decades by using visas.”
Experts, however, warned that the regulations could undermine U.S. competitiveness.
Doug Rand, a former Homeland Security official, criticized the move, saying, “Most Americans welcome international students and understand the importance of reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. This rule moves in exactly the opposite direction.”




pride@fnnews.com Lee Byung-chul Reporter