Washington, July 17 (V7N) — The Trump administration has announced plans to impose stricter time limits on visas issued to foreigners travelling to the United States for higher education, cultural exchange programmes and media-related work.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the new visa policy in a notice issued on Thursday (July 16). Under the proposed changes, visa holders in several categories will no longer be allowed to remain in the country for the entire duration of their studies or employment.
The new rules will introduce fixed validity periods for international students holding F visas, participants in cultural exchange programmes with J visas, and foreign journalists holding I visas.
Under the existing system, holders of these visas could generally stay in the United States for the full duration of their academic programmes or authorised employment. However, the new policy would limit the stay of international students and exchange visitors to a maximum of four years.
For foreign journalists, the administration plans to end the practice of issuing long-term visas. Instead, I visas would be limited to a maximum of 240 days, while Chinese nationals working as journalists would receive visas valid for only 90 days. Visa holders may apply for extensions if they can demonstrate special circumstances.
The final rule will take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register and is currently subject to review by the US Congress.
Since returning to office for a second term in January 2025, President Donald Trump has pursued stricter immigration policies. The latest move is part of broader efforts to tighten regulations affecting international students, visitors and media professionals.
The DHS said the policy change is aimed at addressing concerns over the growing number of foreign students and visitors entering the United States. According to government figures, more than 1.8 million international students received visas in 2024, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. During the same period, more than 500,000 cultural exchange participants and 37,300 foreign journalists were also granted visas.
The administration argues that monitoring and managing such a large number of foreign nationals has become a significant challenge for the DHS. Officials also claim they have identified cases where some students and visitors remained in the United States for years or even decades after their authorised period of stay had ended.
Under the new policy, individuals wishing to remain in the United States beyond their permitted period would need to either return to their home countries and apply for a new visa or seek an extension from the DHS by providing valid reasons.
The decision has raised concerns among international students and journalists worldwide, including those from Bangladesh, with many fearing increased uncertainty over their future stays in the United States.
Source: Bloomberg
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