USA tightened rules for issuing visas to foreign journalists and students

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has changed the rules for issuing visas to foreign journalists, students, and individuals arriving under exchange programs, limiting their stay in the country to a fixed period.

As reported by TASS, this is stated in the department's notice published in the Federal Register (a collection of official U.S. government documents).

According to the document, U.S. authorities proceed from the assumption that the rule change will provide them with "additional protection and greater oversight," and will also "allow for more thorough monitoring of whether holders of the specified nonimmigrant visas maintain their status during the period of their temporary stay in the United States."

Foreign journalists, students, and individuals arriving under exchange programs receive visas in categories I, F, and J, respectively. Under the previous rules, these documents allowed holders to remain in the United States as long as the purposes and conditions of their entry were maintained — for example, as long as a person continued to work for a foreign media outlet or study at an American university. Until now, in most cases, these visas did not have a fixed duration.

Under the new rule, foreign journalists will be able to enter the United States for work for a period of no more than 240 days, with the option to extend it if necessary. For Chinese citizens, the aforementioned period is proposed to be limited to 90 days. Foreign students and individuals arriving under exchange programs will be allowed to stay in the country for the duration of their studies or exchange program, but no longer than four years.