Trump administration proposes shortening visa stays for foreign journalists

Source: The Hill

08/28/25 4:17 PM ET


The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing new restrictions on how long foreign journalists can stay in the United States legally, calling for stricter oversight of visa holders’ activities while in the U.S.

In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Thursday, DHS calls for limiting the foreign journalist visa to eight months. DHS said foreign journalists would be eligible for an extension period of up to eight months, but no longer than the length of the temporary activity or assignment. The rule also calls for limiting foreign students and exchange visitors to a period of four years. The public has 30 days to offer comments on the rule.

Previously, journalists could apply for visas covering the length of their proposed stay, and renew extensions for one year at a time. Journalists from the People’s Republic of China are only allowed to stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday said they opposed “the U.S.’s discriminatory move targeting a specific country.”

The rule comes as the Trump administration has broadly looked to crack down on visa holders, including by revoking student visas held by pro-Palestine protesters, in particular on college campuses.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5476013-dhs-foreign-journalist-visas/