The Trump administration took steps on Thursday to limit the length of visas for foreign students, cultural exchange program visitors and journalists.
The final rule from the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, sets a fixed timeline for F-category visas (for international students), J-category visas (which allow visitors on cultural exchange programs to work in the U.S.), and I-category visas (for media representatives).
Currently, these visas are valid for the entire duration of the program or employment in the U.S. The decision takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, said there was no legal basis for the restrictions on studies and transfers in the new regulations.
“International students, many of whom will have spent years in the US, will now have just 30 days to find an employer to sponsor them, or else they will be immediately turned into illegal immigrants. Don’t these people understand how life works?” he said.
The US issued visas to more than 500,000 visitors under exchange programs and to 37,300 media workers during fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, 2023.
"Visa holders who wish to remain in the United States beyond their authorized period of stay will need to apply to DHS for an extension of stay or obtain reentry permission by traveling abroad and then reentering the United States," DHS announced.
