The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to shorten the validity period of visas issued to international students and foreign journalists.

Under the proposed rule, F visas, granted to foreign students, would be capped at a maximum duration of four years, instead of covering the entire length of academic programs. Currently, doctoral candidates, for example, can hold visas valid for more than five years.

For foreign media professionals, visas would be limited to 240 days, with the possibility of a single extension of another 240 days. However, such visas cannot exceed the duration of the journalist’s specific assignment. Extensions would require an application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), along with additional security checks.

The DHS argued that past policies, which allowed foreign students and journalists longer stays, posed security risks, imposed financial burdens, and potentially disadvantaged U.S. citizens.

But the proposal has sparked backlash, particularly from the U.S. higher education community.

Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, said the rule would create unnecessary hurdles.

 “The rule would force international students and scholars to regularly submit additional applications, disrupting their studies and straining university operations,” she warned, adding that the uncertainty could deter top global talent from choosing the U.S. for study or research.

If approved, the new rule would mark a significant shift from long-standing visa practices, such as the five-year validity often granted to journalists from countries like Germany.