The Trump administration is set to introduce significant changes to visa regulations, with a focus on limiting the duration of stay for international students, exchange visitors, and foreign media members. The new proposal will implement fixed time limits on the validity of F, J, and I visas, respectively.
Currently, visa validity typically aligns with the duration of a program or employment. For example, a student’s F visa is valid for the length of their academic program. Similarly, J visas for exchange visitors and I visas for journalists remain valid throughout their program or employment. The proposed changes will replace this system with fixed-term visas.
Under the new rules, student and exchange visitor visas will be limited to a maximum of four years. Media personnel visas, which can currently be valid for multiple years, will now have a 240-day limit, or 90 days for those from China and Hong Kong. The proposal includes provisions for visa holders to apply for extensions.
The Department of Homeland Security asserts that these changes are necessary to improve monitoring of visa holders. In 2024, there were approximately 1.6 million F visa holders (students), 355,000 J visa holders (exchange visitors), and 13,000 I visa holders (media personnel) in the United States.
The administration claims that the current system has allowed visa holders to stay in the US for extended periods, posing security risks and potentially harming American citizens. These changes are designed to curb this perceived misuse.