The Trump administration is proposing strict limits on visa durations for international students, cultural exchange participants, and foreign journalists, according to a new government regulation released Wednesday. This initiative is part of a broader effort to tighten legal immigration policies in the United States.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, launched an extensive immigration crackdown upon assuming office in January. The latest regulation would impose new restrictions on international students, exchange program participants, and media representatives, requiring them to reapply for extensions instead of benefiting from more flexible visa terms.
Under the proposed rules, F visas for international students, J visas for cultural exchange workers, and I visas for journalists would be valid only for fixed periods. Previously, these visas were granted for the full duration of academic programs, employment contracts, or media assignments in the U.S.
According to 2024 data, roughly 1.6 million international students were studying in the U.S. on F visas. Additionally, the U.S. issued visas to approximately 355,000 exchange visitors and 13,000 journalists during the 2024 fiscal year, which began October 1, 2023.
The new regulation limits student and exchange visitor visas to a maximum of four years. Journalists’ visas, which could previously last several years, would be capped at 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals, though visa holders could still request extensions.
China’s foreign ministry criticized the proposed restriction on Thursday, condemning what it called “discriminatory measures targeting specific countries.”
The Trump administration defended the proposal, stating that it would allow better “monitoring and oversight” of visa holders while residing in the U.S. The public has 30 days to provide feedback on the measure, which closely resembles a 2020 proposal during Trump’s first term.
NAFSA, an organization representing over 4,300 international educational institutions, had opposed the 2020 regulation and urged its withdrawal, which the Biden administration eventually executed in 2021.
In recent years, the Trump administration has heightened scrutiny of legal immigration, including revoking student visas and green cards based on ideological concerns and stripping legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants.
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A memo issued on August 22 by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services indicated plans to resume long-inactive visits to verify applicants’ residency, moral character, and commitment to American values, signaling continued enforcement intensification.
