US caps foreign student visas at 4 years, journalists 240 days
Effective in September, China nationals face a 90-day limit as campuses warn enrollment and economic fallout.
The Donald Trump administration finalized a rule that limits foreign students in the United States to four years and foreign journalists to 240 days, with an extension option for the journalist category. The US Department of Homeland Security said the rule will take effect in September, or 60 days after the final draft is published. For China nationals, the stay is limited to 90 days and can be extended for another 90 days. The new rule also tightens changes in majors or academic programs. DHS, through Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, said the policy is needed to strengthen screening and monitoring of visa holders. But campus groups and press organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and NAFSA, said the move would burden universities, make life harder for international media, and risk pushing students to choose other countries.