--- title: Trump Administration Limits the Duration of Student and Journalist Visas description: Under a newly finalized rule, student visas will be capped at four years and those for members of the media at 240 days. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/07/16/student-journalist-media-visa-limit-rule-trump-administration/ author: Connor Greene article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-07-16T23:18:40.990Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-16T23:18:41.355Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Administration Limits the Duration of Student and Journalist Visas og:description: Under a newly finalized rule, student visas will be capped at four years and those for members of the media at 240 days. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/07/16/student-journalist-media-visa-limit-rule-trump-administration/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b3ffdf085156786/6a595e77ec9d4b1967c0a13e/GettyImages-473701868.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-473701868.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Administration Limits the Duration of Student and Journalist Visas twitter:description: Under a newly finalized rule, student visas will be capped at four years and those for members of the media at 240 days. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b3ffdf085156786/6a595e77ec9d4b1967c0a13e/GettyImages-473701868.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump Administration Limits the Duration of Student and Journalist Visas > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Connor Greene](https://time.com/author/connor-greene/) ## Connor Greene Editorial Fellow Jul 16, 2026 11:18 PM UTC  Seniors walk out during the final commencement ceremony at Sweet Briar College, a women's liberal arts college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, on May 16, 2015. Seniors walk out during the final commencement ceremony at Sweet Briar College, a women's liberal arts college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, on May 16, 2015. Jabin Botsford—The Washington Post/Getty Images by [Connor Greene](https://time.com/author/connor-greene/) ## Connor Greene Editorial Fellow Jul 16, 2026 11:18 PM UTC The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday finalized a rule that will limit the durations of [visas](https://time.com/7346329/trump-immigration-visa-processing-pause/) for [students](https://time.com/article/2026/05/12/us-university-higher-education-international-students-asia-trump-immigration-visa/), exchange visitors, and journalists. The new rule imposes new caps on the lengths of [F](https://educationusa.state.gov/foreign-institutions-and-governments/understanding-us-higher-education/international-student) visas, for international college and university students; [J](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html) visas, for those in the country through educational and cultural exchange programs, which can include students, but also researchers, teachers, or interns, among other designations; and I visas, for journalists. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a [statement](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/07/16/trump-administration-issues-final-rule-end-foreign-student-visa-abuse) on Thursday that thousands of foreign students have allowed to remain in the U.S. “indefinitely” under their visas by “perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave the U.S.,” and that setting limits on the duration of visas will allow the U.S. to reclaim “its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders.” “This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home,” Mullin said. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register in the “next few days,” according to DHS and will then go into effect 60 days after publication. The move is the latest in the Trump Administration’s efforts to limit the number of foreign nationals in the country, which have also previously seen the Administration take steps to [restrict](https://time.com/7329928/refugee-immigration-south-africa-trump/) refugee admissions, [pause](https://time.com/7346329/trump-immigration-visa-processing-pause/) visas from specific countries, [charge](https://time.com/7319116/h1b-visa-news-trump-rules/) companies for H-1B visas, and [end](https://time.com/7286645/supreme-court-temporary-protected-status-venezuelans/) temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of migrants, among a slew of other actions. Under the new rule, F and J visa holders will be permitted to remain in the U.S. for the length of their program, but not longer than four years. If a student needs additional time to complete an academic program, they must apply for an extension on their visa through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Currently, student visas are permitted to last for the duration of their studies, in addition to a period of up to three years after graduation through optional practical training, better known as OPT. For thousands of graduates, OPT has served as a crucial period during which they find employment, which in turn opens the door for them to qualify for the longer-term H-1B visa. The rule also shortens the amount of time F visa holders have to depart or transfer from school and change status after their graduation from 60 to 30 days. The duration of I visas, for members of the media, will be capped at 240 days by the new rule, and 90 days for Chinese nationals. 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