The Trump administration is moving to tighten restrictions on foreign journalists working in the United States by shortening the length of their visas and increasing oversight of their activities.
A rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security would cap journalist visas at eight months, with the possibility of a one-time extension for another eight months, but never longer than the assignment itself. Currently, journalists can apply for visas lasting the length of their assignment and renew them annually. For Chinese journalists, the limit remains even tighter — 90 days.
The proposal also affects other categories of nonimmigrant visas. Foreign students (F-visas) and exchange visitors (J-visas) would be limited to four years. DHS argued that rising numbers of visa holders make it increasingly difficult to monitor compliance with immigration law, pointing to over 1.6 million F-visa admissions, 500,000 J-visa admissions, and 32,470 I-visa (journalist) admissions in 2023.
The rule cites national security concerns, saying tighter limits will give DHS more frequent opportunities to verify that nonimmigrants are abiding by their visa terms. It also warns that some applicants may be trying to live in the U.S. indefinitely under temporary visas. DHS projects the new system would impose more than $390 million in annual costs on visa holders, schools, and exchange programs over the next decade.
The move comes amid a broader Trump administration crackdown on visas, including the revocation of student visas for pro-Palestinian activists and new requirements to review applicants’ social media accounts. Just last week, DHS announced a review of all 55 million current visa holders to look for violations that could trigger deportations.
The proposal is likely to spark diplomatic friction. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced the measure as discriminatory, saying it unfairly targets its nationals. Free press advocates are also expected to raise concerns about how the new rules could be applied to journalists critical of the administration.
Trump’s White House has already clashed with major outlets. Earlier this year, the Associated Press was excluded from the presidential press pool over a dispute involving naming conventions, while the Wall Street Journal was banned from covering Trump’s trip to Scotland after a story the administration labeled defamatory. The new regulation even attempts to define “journalistic content,” excluding “entertainment-based” programs such as reality TV from eligibility.
Despite the controversy, DHS maintains the changes are necessary to safeguard national security and enforce immigration law. Critics, however, warn the effort risks being perceived as a tool to intimidate or restrict journalists at odds with the administration.