Trump administration has finalized new immigration rules that impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the United States.
The measures, finalized on Thursday, are being viewed as the latest step in the administration’s broader effort to tighten legal immigration.
Under the new regulations, which will take effect in September, foreign students entering the US on student visas will be allowed to stay for the duration of their academic program, subject to a maximum stay of four years.
Foreign journalists will be permitted to remain in the United States for up to 240 days (approximately eight months) at a time, with the option to apply for an additional 240-day extension. However, journalists from China will be limited to stays of only 90 days.
The move forms part of President Trump’s wider immigration agenda, which has been a central focus of his presidency. The policy includes tougher immigration enforcement in major cities and additional restrictions on legal pathways to US residency and citizenship.
Official data show that the United States welcomed more than 1.1 million international students during the 2023–24 academic year, more than any other country in the world. These students contributed over $50 billion to the US economy in 2023.
Higher education organizations criticized the new rules, describing them as an unnecessary bureaucratic burden that could discourage talented international students from choosing the United States. The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration warned that the policy would weaken the ability of American universities to attract the world’s top academic talent.
Universities have already reported declines in international student enrolment following earlier actions by the Trump administration, including the cancellation of thousands of student visas and the suspension of billions of dollars in federal research funding.
