The Trump administration moved on Thursday to tighten student visas, exchange visas and media visas under a final Department of Homeland Security rule. The changes would cap student and exchange periods at no longer than four years and shorten some journalist visas.
The rule would also cut the time students have after finishing a degree or training from 60 days to 30 days. Visa holders could still apply for extensions, but graduate students would need authorization to change educational objectives or transfer to another school.
Department of Homeland Security rule
The Department of Homeland Security said the current system lets F visas, J visas and I visas run for the duration of the program or employment in the United States. Under the new regulations, student and exchange visitors would be limited to four years, while journalist visas would run up to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals.
DHS said the change is meant to address monitoring and oversight challenges tied to what it called a significant increase in the volume of these visitors. The department said there were more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, more than 11% higher than the previous year.
Doug Rand and David J. Bier
Doug Rand, a former DHS official, said, “Most Americans understand the value of welcoming international students and getting rid of needless red tape.” He added, “This rule would do the opposite.”
David J. Bier, the immigration studies director at the Cato Institute, said, “There was no legal basis for the study and transfer restrictions in the new regulations.” He also said, “International students, many of whom will have spent years in the USA, will now have just 30 days to find an employer to sponsor them or immediately be turned into illegal immigrants.”
DHS said the United States granted visas to more than 500,000 exchange visitors in fiscal year 2024 and 37,300 members of the media in fiscal year 2024. The rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the federal register, subject to congressional review, leaving students, exchange visitors and journalists to adjust their plans before the new periods begin.
