By Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA, on Immigration Updates
The Trump administration has proposed a Department of Homeland Security rule that would impose strict time limits on visas for foreign students, exchange visitors, and journalists. Under the proposed policy, foreign students and exchange visitors holding F, J, or I visa classifications would be limited to stays of up to four years, while foreign journalists would be restricted to 240 days in the United States (with journalists from China permitted only 90 days). Currently, these visa holders may remain in the country indefinitely so long as they comply with their visa terms. The administration justifies the change as necessary to protect program integrity and reduce potential visa abuse, though the rule has generated over 20,000 public comments and faced opposition from major institutions including Columbia University and the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.
Critics, including immigration law experts and press freedom advocates, have challenged the administration's rationale for the restrictions. Legal scholars argue the department has offered insufficient evidence of widespread visa abuse among the affected groups, and organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders contend the rule would impede press freedom. Immigration lawyers have characterized the proposed rule as part of a broader "patchwork" of restrictive policies reflecting hostility toward immigration, warning of significant consequences for international students, educational institutions, and U.S. employers.
For more information on this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA today.
Reference:
BrieAnna J. Frank, Trump Administration Seeks New Restrictions on Foreign Students and Media, USA TODAY (Nov. 14, 2025), https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/14/trump-administration-department-homeland-security-visa-foreign-students-media/87233166007/.
