Trump Tightens US Visa Rules, Capping Student Stays at Four Years and Journalists at 240 Days

Student F visas capped at four years, with extensions available

Long-term degree programs such as Ph.D.s face greater uncertainty

Reporters will have to renew visas every eight months

The Trump administration on July 16 released a final rule that sharply shortens authorized stays for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists in the US.

Student F visas and exchange-visitor J visas will be valid for up to four years, after which holders must separately apply to extend their stay. Journalists on I visas will be limited to 240 days, with extensions available.

The Department of Homeland Security published the final rule in the Federal Register on July 16, with formal publication set for July 17. The rule imposes specific limits on the period of stay for holders of F, J and I visas.

Under the new rule, F-1 visa holders had previously been allowed to remain in the US until they completed their studies. Going forward, their stay will be capped at four years even if they have not finished their program. After that period expires, they must go through the extension-of-stay, or EOS, process to remain in the country. J visas for exchange visitors will also be capped at four years, with any additional stay requiring an EOS application.

I visas for reporting had not previously been subject to a separate time limit. They will now be capped at 240 days and, like F and J visas, may be extended through the EOS process. I visas for Chinese nationals, excluding those from Hong Kong and Macau, will be limited to 90 days.

The rule is scheduled to take effect 60 days after its formal publication on July 17, though the date could still change during congressional review.

Separate transition rules will apply to people already in the US on those visas. Holders of F and J visas may remain under the current system until the end of their program, but not for more than four years after the rule takes effect. I visa holders, by contrast, will be granted up to 240 days from the effective date.

The document says F-1 students who were in the US on the effective date and apply within 244 days for Optional Practical Training, or OPT, or a STEM OPT extension will not need to file a separate Form I-539 to extend their stay. They will only need to submit Form I-765 for employment authorization. They may remain in the US until their approved Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, expires without filing a separate EOS request.

The move is part of the Trump administration's broader anti-immigration push, including a sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security said the changes are intended to address national security concerns tied to programs such as student visas.

The new rule still allows extensions of stay, but the added procedure introduces new uncertainty for visa holders. Previously, schools directly determined whether F and J visa holders could extend their stay. Under the new system, Department of Homeland Security immigration officers will periodically review whether applicants have maintained valid status and complied with the law.

For schools, the change sharply reduces discretion and will make it materially harder to admit foreign students. If students are found to have overstayed, unlawful presence will begin to accrue immediately, raising the risk of penalties including future reentry bans.

About 1.2 million foreign students are estimated to be studying in the US. According to the South Korean Embassy in Washington, there were 24,722 Korean holders of F, J and I visas as of last year. That included 11,861 F-1 visa holders and 1,347 dependent F-2 visa holders. There were 7,985 J-1 visa holders, including visiting scholars and exchange professors, and 3,180 dependent J-2 visa holders. I visas totaled 349, including correspondents and other media workers and their family members.

Sang-eun Lee, Washington correspondent, selee@hankyung.com