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Trump administration’s new US visa rule proposes 90-day stay limit for Chinese journalists
Under the new proposal, US visas for mainland Chinese reporters would be capped at 90 days, though extensions could be granted.
The Donald Trump administration has reportedly proposed limiting visas for Chinese journalists in the United States to 90 days, a sharp reduction from current rules that allow them to stay for the duration of their assignments.
The measure, outlined in a department of homeland security (DHS) proposal released this week, would also restrict foreign students and exchange visitors to a maximum of four years, according to a Bloomberg report.
The DHS said the changes are intended to prevent misuse of long-term US visas. “For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the US virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging US citizens,” the department said in a statement cited by the news agency.
Restrictions on Chinese journalists
Under the proposal, visas for mainland Chinese reporters would be capped at 90 days, though extensions could be granted. However, journalists from other countries would face a 240-day limit.
The rules mark a return to restrictions Donald Trump sought near the end of his first term, which were reversed before taking effect by Joe Biden after he became US President.
The plan will undergo a 30-day public comment period before it can move forward.
Beijing reacts
China reacted sharply to the announcement. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposed “discriminatory practices taken by the US against specific countries.”
US officials, however, maintain that China admits far fewer American reporters than the US allows Chinese journalists. During his first term, Trump ordered Chinese state-owned outlets to cut their staff in the US in retaliation for Beijing’s curbs on American media.
Earlier this year, secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US would begin “aggressively” revoking visas for Chinese students over ties to the Communist Party or work in sensitive fields.
Yet President Trump recently emphasised the importance of welcoming Chinese students, saying the US would allow 600,000 of them to study in the country because “it’s very important.”
(With Bloomberg inputs)
