Trump Administration Acts To Curb Visa Abuse By Students, Foreign Media
The Trump administration has unveiled a new immigration policy aimed at tightening visa rules for international students, cultural exchange participants, and foreign journalists, marking the latest step in President Donald Trump’s sweeping effort to restore integrity and accountability to the U.S. immigration system.
Under a proposed rule announced Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security, the administration seeks to end the current policy allowing F, J, and I visa holders to remain in the United States for the “duration of status” — a flexible term that permitted many foreign nationals to stay in the country as long as they were enrolled in an academic program or employed by a qualifying media outlet.
Instead, the new regulation would impose fixed visa terms: no more than four years for student and cultural exchange visa holders, and a maximum of 240 days for members of the foreign press — with Chinese nationals limited to just 90 days. All affected visa holders would need to apply for extensions beyond those terms.
Justification: National Oversight and Security
The Department of Homeland Security said the changes are necessary to improve oversight of foreign nationals inside the U.S. and to combat fraud and abuse.
“This proposed rule will enable federal authorities to better monitor and oversee the activities of individuals who are temporarily in the country under these visa categories,” the department said. “Duration of status has created enforcement challenges and opened the door to long-term overstays.”
The move comes as part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to reassert control over both legal and illegal immigration. Since returning to office, President Trump has revoked student visas for ideological violations, stripped green cards from individuals associated with anti-American views, and reinstated in-person residency checks for citizenship applicants.
Just last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it would resume long-suspended neighborhood visits to assess whether citizenship applicants met standards for residency, moral character, and commitment to American values.
Millions of Visa Holders Impacted
Government data shows that roughly 1.6 million international students were studying in the United States on F visas in 2024. The J visa program, which facilitates work and cultural exchange, issued about 355,000 visas in fiscal year 2024. An additional 13,000 foreign journalists held I visas, many of them renewing stays indefinitely under the current flexible policy.
The proposed regulation would apply to all new applicants and existing visa holders seeking to remain in the country past the fixed term.
The Trump administration says the rule is not meant to discourage legitimate educational, cultural, or journalistic activity — but to ensure the U.S. isn’t being taken advantage of by individuals or organizations abusing lenient visa policies.
Resistance From the Left and Academia
Immigration advocates and left-wing nonprofits have criticized the proposed changes as hostile and unnecessary. NAFSA, a nonprofit association representing over 4,300 international education institutions, voiced opposition, arguing that the rule would add layers of red tape and uncertainty for foreign students and scholars.
A similar proposal was put forward during Trump’s first term in 2020, but was later scrapped by the Biden administration in 2021. Trump officials now argue that the political landscape has changed — and that protecting national interests takes precedence over ideological opposition.
“The American people want a lawful, fair, and safe immigration system,” a senior administration official said. “We are delivering that.”
Public Comment Period and Next Steps
The regulation will be subject to a 30-day public comment period before it can be finalized. Administration officials have indicated they are prepared to move quickly, citing national security concerns and the growing backlog of foreign nationals remaining in the U.S. beyond the terms of their visas.
If approved, the new policy would mark a significant shift in the oversight and enforcement of temporary visa programs — and another notch in the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on legal immigration abuses.