The Trump administration has announced stricter visa rules for international students, cultural exchange visitors and foreign journalists, introducing fixed validity periods instead of allowing visas to remain valid for the duration of study or employment.
Under the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule, F visas for students and J visas for exchange visitors will be valid for a maximum of four years, while I visas for foreign journalists will be limited to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals. The rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.
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The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown since returning to office in January 2025. The administration says the changes will strengthen oversight as the number of visa holders continues to rise.
The new regulations also prohibit graduate students from changing their educational objectives or transferring to another institution without approval. In addition, the grace period to remain in the US after completing studies has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
Visa holders who wish to stay beyond their approved period must apply to DHS for an extension or leave the country and seek readmission. DHS said there were more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, up 11 percent from the previous year, along with over 500,000 exchange visitors and 37,300 foreign journalists. The department said the growing number of visa holders has made monitoring more challenging.
The new policy has drawn criticism from immigration experts, who argue it creates unnecessary hurdles for international students. China has also opposed the shorter visa duration for its journalists, calling the proposal discriminatory.
