The Trump administration plans to tighten U.S. visa rules for students, journalists, and exchange visitors, potentially affecting 1.6 million students and 355,000 cultural exchange participants, sparking global concern over education and press freedom.
WEBDESK – MediaBites: The Trump administration has proposed new restrictions on visas for international students, cultural exchange visitors, and foreign journalists, a move that could affect more than 1.9 million people.
The plan, unveiled Wednesday in government documents, would introduce fixed visa periods for F visas (students), J visas (cultural exchange), and I visas (media). Under current rules, those visas typically remain valid for the duration of a student’s program, work assignment, or media posting in the United States.
According to U.S. government data, about 1.6 million students were in the country on F visas in 2024, along with 355,000 exchange visitors and 13,000 foreign journalists. If enacted, the new regulation would limit student and exchange visas to four years and restrict journalist visas to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals. Extensions could be requested but would require fresh applications and approvals.
Administration officials said the changes are aimed at tightening oversight and ensuring visa holders comply with U.S. law. Critics argue the proposal echoes measures from 2020—introduced late in Trump’s first term but later scrapped by the Biden administration in 2021—that were widely condemned by international educators and press freedom advocates.
NAFSA, a nonprofit representing more than 4,300 educational institutions worldwide, opposed the 2020 plan and is expected to resist the revived proposal. “Such restrictions undermine the global exchange of ideas and damage America’s competitiveness,” the group said at the time.
The Trump administration has ramped up scrutiny of both legal and illegal immigration since taking office, including canceling visas over ideological grounds and stepping up checks on applicants’ backgrounds and residency claims.
The proposal will undergo a 30-day public comment period before a final decision is made.
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