US Tightens Visa Rules for Foreign Students, Journalists

The US administration is set to tighten visa rules for foreign students and journalists by introducing fixed limits on how long they can remain in the country under new regulations unveiled on Thursday.

Under the proposed rules, foreign students, including exchange students, will be allowed to stay for up to four years, while foreign journalists will be limited to 240 days. Both groups will be able to apply for extensions without leaving the US.

The new regulations, due to be officially published on Friday, will take effect 60 days later.

Homeland Security officials said the changes are intended to prevent abuse of the immigration system. Authorities argued that the previous policy, which allowed many students to remain in the US for an indefinite period while continuously enrolling in courses, had been exploited to avoid leaving the country.

Previously, holders of F visas for students, J visas for exchange visitors and I visas for foreign media representatives were generally permitted to remain in the US without fixed time limits, provided they continued their studies or professional activities.