The administration of US President Donald Trump has finalised new immigration rules that will impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the United States, marking the latest move in its broader effort to tighten legal immigration.
Gatekeepers News reports that under the new regulations, which could take effect as early as September, international students will be granted visas for the duration of their academic programme, subject to a maximum stay of four years.
Foreign journalists, meanwhile, will be allowed to stay for up to 240 days (about eight months). They may apply for additional 240-day extensions, except for journalists from China, whose visas will be limited to 90 days.
The changes form part of a wider immigration policy championed by President Trump, which has included intensified enforcement operations in major US cities and tighter restrictions on legal immigration pathways.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received nearly 22,000 public comments after proposing the rules in August 2025 but adopted the regulations with few changes.
When introducing the proposal, the DHS argued that some foreign students were prolonging their studies indefinitely to remain in the United States as “forever students.”
The department said the existing open-ended system, which has been in place since the late 1970s, had weakened its ability to effectively monitor visa holders.
According to official figures, the United States hosted more than 1.1 million international students during the 2023–2024 academic year—the highest number globally. These students contributed more than $50 billion to the US economy in 2023.
However, higher education organisations criticised the new policy, warning that it could discourage talented students from choosing the United States.
The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration said the rule “weakens the ability of US colleges and universities to attract top talent.”
Several universities have already reported declines in international student enrolment following earlier actions by the Trump administration, including the revocation of thousands of student visas and the suspension of billions of dollars in federal research funding.
Media organisations and international stakeholders, including the Embassy of Japan, also urged the DHS to allow foreign correspondents assigned to US bureaus to receive admission periods ranging from two to five years.
They further requested expedited visa processing and fee caps for journalists, but the department rejected those proposals.
President Trump had proposed similar visa restrictions during the final months of his first term in office, but the policy was later scrapped by his successor, former President Joe Biden.
The newly finalised rule is still subject to review by the Republican-controlled Congress.
