US slashes foreign journalist visas to 240 days, caps student stays at four years

What the rule changes

The new regulation ends the "duration of status" framework that allowed foreign students (F visas), exchange visitors (J visas), and journalists (I visas) to remain in the United States as long as they met programme requirements. Under the final rule, F and J visa holders will be admitted for a maximum of four years, while I visa holders will be limited to 240 days, roughly eight months. Chinese nationals on I visas face a stricter 90-day cap. Visa holders may apply for extensions without leaving the country, but each renewal requires federal approval. The rule also prohibits graduate students from changing their educational objectives or transferring institutions without authorisation, and it halves the post-completion departure window from 60 days to 30 days. The effective date is 15 September 2026, 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.

DHS justification

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin defended the changes as a national security measure. He argued that thousands of foreign nationals had abused the system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid leaving the country. The DHS stated that the new fixed limits would allow the government to "properly screen, vet and monitor individuals within our borders." The department also cited a sharp rise in recent years in the number of students and journalists using these visa categories.

For decades, foreign students have been admitted into the US indefinitely, allowing thousands to abuse our immigration system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave the US.

Press freedom groups condemn the move

International press freedom organisations reacted sharply. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the rule "deprives international journalists of the ability to cover news from the United States and makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for international media to operate on American soil." The group warned that a "relentless cycle of visa renewals restricts press freedom," as journalists will feel pressure to avoid antagonising the administration for fear of rejection. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the policy "the behavior of a backsliding democracy, not the international vanguard of free speech." RSF urged Congress to intervene.

We are outraged that the Trump administration has cruelly limited the duration of visas for foreign journalists from a period of up to five years to a fixed eight months.

Student advocates warn of disruption

NAFSA: Association of International Educators described the rule as "misguided and unnecessary." CEO Fanta Aw said it "injects uncertainty, bureaucracy and fear into a system that has long worked effectively. This is a solution in search of a problem." Doctoral students and those in science, technology, and medicine are particularly exposed, as these programmes routinely exceed four years due to research, publication, and funding delays. Former DHS official Doug Rand said the rule would do the opposite of cutting red tape, while David J. Bier of the Cato Institute argued there was no legal basis for the new study and transfer restrictions. The US hosts more than 1.1 million foreign students, the largest such population globally.

This policy injects uncertainty, bureaucracy and fear into a system that has long worked effectively. This is a solution in search of a problem.

China threatens retaliation

China's foreign ministry labelled the visa restrictions "discriminatory" and demanded immediate withdrawal. Spokesperson Lin Jian said the move "seriously violates the three-point consensus on media issues reached between China and the US in 2021, and seriously affects the normal work of Chinese media in the US." Beijing reserved the right to take reciprocal countermeasures. The special 90-day limit for Chinese journalists does not apply to those from Hong Kong or Macau.

The action seriously violates the three-point consensus on media issues reached between China and the US in 2021, and seriously affects the normal work of Chinese media in the US.

Broader immigration crackdown

The visa rule is the latest in a series of immigration restrictions under President Donald Trump, who began a wide-ranging crackdown after taking office in January 2025. The administration has previously revoked student visas and green cards over ideological views, stripped legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants, and attempted to cap international student numbers at some top universities. A similar proposal to end duration of status was floated during Trump's first term in 2020 but was withdrawn when Joe Biden assumed the presidency in 2021. The new rule was revived last year and finalised this week.