The Trump administration has introduced a proposed regulation aimed at tightening the legal stay of international students, journalists, and cultural exchange visitors in the US. The move is part of a broader Trump immigration crackdown and would impose fixed visa durations for categories that previously allowed flexible stays tied to educational or professional programs.

The proposed policy targets F visas for international students in the US, J visas for cultural exchange participants, and I visas for foreign media personnel. Under the changes, student and exchange visitor visas would be limited to four years, while journalist visas would be capped at 240 days, 90 days for Chinese nationals, with the option to apply for an extension.

According to US government data, there were approximately 1.6 million holders of F visas in 2024, alongside 355,000 J visa holders and 13,000 I visa holders. These new US visa restrictions could affect a significant portion of that population.

The Trump administration argued the changes are necessary to better “monitor and oversee” visa holders and prevent overstays or misuse of legal status.

Regulation draws opposition 

The regulation mirrors a similar proposal issued in 2020 during the final months of Trump’s first term. That version was later withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021 following backlash from academic and international education communities.

NAFSA, a global nonprofit representing over 4,300 institutions, reiterated its opposition to the latest proposal, stating that it would undermine US higher education and international cooperation.

Trump admin. resumes immigration crackdown 

The new visa policy aligns with President Trump’s long-standing focus on immigration reform, particularly legal immigration. Since returning to office, the administration has resumed measures such as revoking visas over ideological concerns and targeting legal residents for status reviews.

In an August 22 memo, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced plans to restart neighborhood visits to verify citizenship applicants’ residency, moral character, and commitment to American values, a tactic dormant for years. The resumption of such checks signals a renewed push in the Trump student visa policy 2025 to apply scrutiny beyond entry and extend it to community-level monitoring.

The public has 30 days to comment on the proposed visa rule.

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