The United States, US, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, has introduced a new proposed rule that would place fixed time limits on visas issued to Nigerians and other international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists, marking another move in President Donald Trump’s broader immigration enforcement agenda.
According to a government notice published on July 16, the proposed regulation would replace the current system, which allows holders of F visas for students, J visas for cultural exchange participants and I visas for foreign media professionals to remain in the United States for the duration of their academic programmes or employment.
The rule is expected to take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.
Since then, the administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration, including the revocation of some student visas and green cards linked to university students’ political views, as well as moves to end the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants.
Under the proposed changes, F and J visa holders would be allowed to remain in the United States for a maximum of four years. Foreign journalists holding I visas, whose stays are currently not subject to a fixed duration, would face a limit of 240 days, while Chinese journalists would be restricted to 90 days.
