US issues final rule ending open-ended student visas, limiting foreign journalist stays to 240 days and Chinese nationals to 90 days

Summary

The Trump administration's US Department of Homeland Security published a final rule on July 16 eliminating the "duration of status" framework that had governed foreign student and media visas since the 1950s. Under the old system, F (student), J (exchange visitor), and I (journalist) visa holders could remain in the US as long as they maintained their status, with no fixed expiry date. The new rule sets student and exchange visitor visas to expire after four years, journalist and media visas after 240 days (with renewals possible), and caps all visas issued to Chinese nationals, regardless of category, at 90 days. DHS framed the change as ending "foreign student visa abuse."

The split

The US domestic frame centers on sovereignty and visa integrity. Gulf and South Asian media (The National, Al Jazeera) emphasized the duration caps and the procedural consequences for students from countries where the US is a primary higher-education destination. The Irish Times focused on the journalist visa dimension and the press-freedom implications for foreign correspondents based in Washington. Caribbean outlet Nation News flagged the impact on small-island students who depend on US universities. Chinese government response was not visible in the feed.

By the numbers

• 4 years, new maximum duration for F and J student and exchange-visitor visas
• 240 days, new maximum duration for I-class journalist and media visas
• 90 days, cap on all US visas issued to Chinese nationals under the new rule
• 1950s, era when the previous "duration of status" framework was established

Why it matters

The "duration of status" system had been the foundation of the US's ability to attract long-term international students and researchers, who could study for multiple degrees or extend their postdoctoral work without repeated visa renewal cycles. The new fixed-duration caps create a renewal bureaucracy for students and a shorter reporting window for foreign journalists. The explicit China-specific 90-day cap turns visa duration into a tool of US-China competition, affecting Chinese students, academics, and journalists disproportionately.

What to watch

• Effective date and any grace period for existing student and media visa holders
• Legal challenges from US universities, press freedom organizations, or affected governments
• China's retaliatory visa measures targeting US students and journalists in China
• Whether other countries are added to the 90-day-cap list in future regulatory updates