Trump tightens US visa rules for students, journalists, exchange visitors

The Donald Trump administration has unveiled sweeping changes to US visa rules, replacing the long-standing "duration of status" system with fixed periods of stay for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists, in a move that adds fresh hurdles for legal immigration.

A final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday sets a maximum stay of four years for most holders of F (student) and J (exchange visitor) visas. I visas for foreign journalists, which could previously remain valid for years, will now be limited to 240 days, while Chinese journalists will be restricted to 90 days. Visa holders will be able to apply for extensions.

The regulation will take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.

The move is the latest immigration measure under President Donald Trump, who has pursued an aggressive crackdown on both illegal and legal immigration since returning to office in January 2025. His administration has already revoked student visas and green cards linked to campus activism and terminated the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

Until now, international students and exchange visitors were generally admitted for the duration of their academic programme or exchange, while accredited foreign journalists could remain in the US for the length of their assignment. The new rule ends that system, requiring visa holders seeking to remain beyond the fixed period to either apply to DHS for an extension or leave the country and seek readmission.

Defending the change, DHS said the sharp rise in visa admissions has made oversight more difficult.

"The significant increase in the volume of such visitors poses a challenge to DHS's ability to monitor and oversee these nonimmigrants while they are in the United States," the department said.

The agency said there were more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, an increase of over 11per cent from the previous year. During fiscal year 2024, the US also issued visas to more than 500,000 exchange visitors and 37,300 members of the foreign media.

DHS also argued that some individuals have remained in the country for decades under the existing system.

"DHS has many examples of students and exchange visitors staying for decades on their visas," the rule states.

The administration says the fixed-duration system will strengthen oversight by requiring periodic review of visa holders' eligibility. Critics, however, are expected to argue that the changes create uncertainty for international students, researchers, exchange workers and foreign correspondents, who may now face additional paperwork and the risk of disruption to their studies, work or reporting assignments.

With agency inputs