The administration of United States President Donald Trump has finalised new immigration rules that impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the country, as part of its broader effort to tighten legal immigration.
Under the new regulations, which could take effect as early as September, international students will be admitted for the duration of their academic programme, subject to a maximum stay of four years.
Foreign journalists will be permitted to stay for up to 240 days, with the option of applying for 240-day extensions. However, Chinese journalists will be limited to stays of only 90 days.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalised the rules after receiving nearly 22,000 public comments on the proposal first introduced in August 2025, but made few changes before adopting the policy.
According to the department, the previous open-ended system had enabled some foreign nationals to remain in the United States indefinitely by repeatedly extending their studies, making effective visa monitoring more difficult.
The new measures form part of President Trump’s wider immigration agenda, which includes tougher enforcement operations and tighter restrictions on legal immigration pathways.
The United States hosted more than 1.1 million international students during the 2023–2024 academic year, contributing over $50 billion to the country’s economy, according to official figures.
Higher education groups criticised the policy, arguing that it would create unnecessary administrative barriers and discourage talented students from choosing American universities.
Several universities have also reported declining international enrolment following earlier Trump administration actions, including the revocation of thousands of student visas and reductions in federal research funding.
Media organisations and international stakeholders, including the Japanese Embassy, had urged the DHS to allow correspondents to receive visas valid for between two and five years, but the department rejected those proposals, as well as requests for expedited processing and fee caps for journalists.
A similar policy was proposed during Trump’s first term but was later reversed by former President Joe Biden. The new rule remains subject to review by the Republican-controlled Congress.