US limits length of stay for foreign students and journalists

The US government has decided to shorten the length of stay of foreign students and journalists in the United States, according to a government document published today.

This is a new step within the framework of the current administration's highly restrictive immigration policy.

Under the new rules, which are expected to take effect within two months if approved by Congress, foreign nationals with student visas will not be allowed to stay in US territory for more than four years.

For foreign journalists, stay will be limited to a maximum of 240 days, or about eight months, with the possibility of submitting a request for extension for periods of the same duration.

An even stricter regime will apply to journalists from China, as their visas will be limited to just 90 days, Reuters writes.

Until now, the US issued visas to students for the entire duration of their studies, while allowing journalists to stay for up to five years, writes the Agence France Presse.

The new measure, which the US government had proposed last year, will affect accredited journalists from hundreds of foreign media outlets in the United States.

Many international media outlets have warned in an open letter that this decision would "reduce the scope and quality of reporting" on current events in the US. /Telegraph/ ...