US to shorten stays for foreign students and journalists under new immigration rules

• The US administration is set to limit the length of stay for foreign students and journalists, introducing new visa restrictions as part of its broader immigration crackdown.

The US administration is moving to shorten the length of stays allowed for foreign students and journalists in the United States, according to an administrative document published Thursday, in the latest measure tightening immigration rules.

Under the new regulations, which are set to take effect within two months unless blocked by Congress, foreign nationals holding student visas will no longer be permitted to remain in the United States for more than four years.

Foreign journalists will be limited to stays of 240 days, or about eight months, with the possibility of applying for extensions for similar periods. Chinese journalists will face stricter restrictions, with their visas limited to 90 days.

Currently, the United States issues student visas covering the duration of an academic program, while journalist visas can be valid for up to five years.

The measure, which will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, will affect journalists accredited by hundreds of foreign media organizations operating in the United States. The proposal was initially introduced by the administration last year, triggering a period of public consultation.

Around 100 international media organizations and press groups, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), warned in an open letter that the changes would reduce the "scope and quality" of coverage of US affairs.

The move comes as President Donald Trump’s administration pursues a broader immigration agenda focused on reducing illegal immigration and restricting legal pathways into the country. Since returning to office, the administration has deported large numbers of undocumented migrants and introduced stricter limits on legal immigration, including restrictions affecting asylum, permanent residency applications and entry from certain countries.

Trump has also repeatedly criticized journalists and some media outlets, accusing them of spreading false information.

Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the new rules as "deplorable," warning they could make it significantly harder, or even impossible, for foreign journalists to cover events from inside the United States.

RSF said the repeated need to renew visas would restrict press freedom and represent a "direct violation" of freedom of expression and journalism, urging Congress to intervene.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration matters, justified the changes by citing a "significant increase" in the number of students and journalists using these visas in recent years.

The department said the rise posed a challenge to its ability to monitor and manage non-immigrants during their stay in the United States.

In 2024, more than 1.8 million people entered the United States on student visas, an increase of 11 percent compared with the previous year, according to the department.