US introduces new visa restrictions for students and journalists

The United States is implementing new visa restrictions that will significantly shorten the permitted stay for international students and foreign journalists. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new regulations that will replace the long-standing practice of allowing visa holders to remain for the duration of their studies or employment.

Under the new rules, students on F and J visas, as well as exchange program participants, will be limited to a maximum stay of four years or the end date specified by their educational institution. Foreign media correspondents will be granted a 240-day stay, with possibilities for extensions, though journalists from China will be restricted to just 90 days. These changes mark a departure from policies that have been in place since the 1970s.

Furthermore, the regulations reduce the grace period for departing the U.S. after completing studies from 60 to 30 days. They also limit language course stays to 24 months and prohibit undergraduate students from changing majors or institutions during their first year, with graduate students facing similar restrictions on changing fields of study or universities altogether.

The DHS justifies these measures by citing the need to strengthen oversight and national security, including more frequent checks on foreign nationals. Despite receiving over 22,000 critical comments during public consultations and facing protests from journalistic and student associations, the DHS has largely maintained the proposed restrictions. The department estimates the annual cost of these regulations at approximately $443-449 million.