By Reena Bhardwaj |
Washington [US], August 28 (ANI) The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed sweeping changes to visa regulations, replacing the longstanding “duration of status” framework with fixed admission periods for nonimmigrant academic students (F), exchange visitors (J), and representatives of foreign information media (I).
According to a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the DHS aims to ensure that F, J, and I visa holders are admitted for specific time periods rather than indefinitely, even if they remain compliant with visa terms. Nonimmigrants seeking to stay beyond their fixed admission dates would need to apply directly to DHS for an extension of stay.
The department said the changes are necessary to strengthen oversight, address national security concerns, and align these visa categories with most other nonimmigrant classifications, which already operate under fixed admission timelines. DHS noted that the current system, which allows admission for as long as the visa holder maintains qualifying status, “does not afford immigration officers enough predetermined opportunities to directly verify that aliens are engaging only in authorized activities.”
In 2023 alone, the United States admitted more than 1.6 million F-1 students, over 500,000 J exchange visitors, and 32,470 I visa holders. DHS argued that greater oversight would help deter fraud, reduce abuse, and preserve the integrity of these nonimmigrant categories.
Key Proposed Changes
- F visas (students): Admission limited to a maximum of four years or the program end date, whichever is shorter, with a 30-day grace period (reduced from 60 days). Graduate-level students would face new restrictions on changing programs mid-course.
- J visas (exchange visitors): Admission capped at four years, with extensions required thereafter.
- I visas (journalists): Admission limited to 240 days, with possible extensions if immigration officers are satisfied with compliance. Chinese journalists would face an even shorter admission period of 90 days, with renewable 90-day extensions.
The I visa, designed for foreign journalists and media professionals, has traditionally allowed admission for the duration of employment abroad, a system introduced in 1985. The Trump administration previously moved to tighten these rules, arguing that indefinite admissions undermined oversight and enabled abuse. In May 2020, DHS published a final rule limiting Chinese journalists’ I visa stays to 90 days. The current proposal builds on those restrictions, setting a general 240-day cap for most foreign journalists while maintaining special limits for Chinese nationals.
To qualify for an I visa, applicants must show proof of employment with a foreign media organization, demonstrate intent to engage in news gathering or documentary work, and produce informational, non-commercial content intended for a foreign audience.
DHS said the new rules would allow immigration officers to “periodically and directly assess whether nonimmigrants are complying with the conditions of their classifications and US immigration laws.”
The proposed regulation would affect millions of nonimmigrants, including over 1.6 million international students, approximately 355,000 exchange visitors, and about 13,000 members of the foreign press admitted in fiscal year 2024.
The proposals have drawn criticism from organizations such as NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which opposed a similar rule in 2020 before it was withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021.
Public comments on the new proposed rule must be submitted within 30 days of its publication in the Federal Register under Docket No. ICEB-2025-0001. (ANI)
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