US proposes visa limits for foreign students, journalists

In a move likely to affect hundreds of thousands of international visitors, the Trump administration has proposed new visa restrictions targeting foreign students, cultural exchange participants, and foreign journalists.

According to a report by Reuters, the proposed changes are part of a broader effort to tighten legal immigration procedures. The new rules would affect F visas (for international students), J visas (for cultural exchange participants), and I visas (for foreign media representatives), all of which currently allow holders to stay in the U.S. for the duration of their programs or assignments.

Under the proposed policy, student and exchange visitor visas would be capped at a maximum of four years. Journalist visas, which previously could remain valid for several years, would now be limited to just 240 days — and only 90 days for Chinese nationals. While visa holders would still be allowed to apply for extensions, such renewals would no longer be automatic and would require separate applications.

Data from the U.S. government shows that in 2024, approximately 1.6 million foreign students were in the country on F visas. Additionally, 355,000 individuals participated in exchange programs, while 13,000 foreign journalists were granted I visas in the same fiscal year.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the changes are intended to enhance oversight and improve monitoring of visa holders during their stay in the country.

Public comments on the proposed policy will be accepted over a 30-day period. A similar initiative was introduced by the Trump administration in 2020, but it was later withdrawn by President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021 following widespread criticism.

International education advocacy groups, including NAFSA — a nonprofit organization representing over 4,300 institutions worldwide — previously opposed the 2020 version of the policy and are expected to challenge the current proposal as well.

This development comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration under the Trump administration. In recent years, there have been reports of student visas and green cards being revoked over ideological grounds, and the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants has been rescinded.

In a related move, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on August 22 that it would resume in-person residency checks for citizenship applicants, aiming to verify residence, assess moral character, and evaluate adherence to American values.