US to shorten visa duration for students and journalists from September

The United States will shorten the validity period of visas for foreign students and journalists starting in September, according to a government notice on Thursday, once again reflecting President Donald Trump’s policy of tightening immigration rules. For holders of student and exchange visitor visas, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said their period of stay will in principle be limited to four years. For foreign journalists, their stay in the US will not be allowed to exceed 240 days. Specifically for Chinese citizens in this category, the stay is limited to just 90 days. If everything proceeds smoothly, the regulation will take effect 60 days after the notice is officially announced on Friday. Under the rule, although entry is granted for a specific period, holders of F, J, and I visas may apply for extensions beyond the initial period. Allowing holders of these visa categories to stay indefinitely in the US is inconsistent with efforts to protect national security and public safety, the DHS stressed. In the notice, the DHS stated the new rule will provide additional protections and oversight for these categories of non-immigrants. Previously, in the final months of Trump’s first term in 2020, the US sought to make similar changes. However, the proposal at the time faced strong opposition from higher education institutions and many other bodies, leading to its cancellation in 2021 by the administration of then-President Joe Biden.