BEIJING: China on Friday condemned the United States’ new visa restrictions on foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists as “discriminatory”, urging Washington to reverse the measures and warning that Beijing reserved the right to take reciprocal action.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “firmly opposed” the policy, arguing that it served the interests of neither country.
The response came a day after the Trump administration announced sweeping changes to visa rules for international students, cultural exchange participants and foreign journalists. Among the measures, the validity of visas issued to Chinese journalists has been reduced to 90 days.
Under new regulations issued by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), F visas for international students, J visas for exchange visitors and I visas for journalists will no longer remain valid for the duration of a person’s course of study or employment. Instead, they will be granted for fixed periods. The rules will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.
The revised policy caps student and exchange visas at four years, while journalist visas will generally be valid for up to 240 days. Chinese journalists, however, will be limited to 90-day visas, although extensions may be sought.
The regulations also tighten conditions for international students. Graduate students will no longer be allowed to change their academic objectives or transfer to another institution without prior approval. The grace period for leaving the US after completing studies or training has also been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
The Trump administration said the changes were aimed at strengthening oversight of legal immigration. Since returning to office in January 2025, it has tightened scrutiny of visa holders, revoked student visas and green cards in some cases, and withdrawn the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants.
According to DHS, the US recorded more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, an increase of over 11% from the previous year. During the same fiscal year, it also admitted more than 500,000 exchange visitors and about 37,300 journalists.
DHS said the growing number of visa holders had made oversight more difficult and cited instances of students and exchange visitors remaining in the country for decades. Under the new framework, those wishing to stay beyond their authorised period must either secure an extension or leave the US and apply for readmission.
The policy has drawn criticism from immigration experts. Former DHS official Doug Rand said the measures would make the US less attractive to talented international students.
“Most Americans understand the value of welcoming international students and getting rid of needless red tape. This rule would do the opposite,” Rand said.
David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, also questioned the legal basis for restricting students from changing institutions or academic goals.
“International students, many of whom will have spent years in the USA, will now have just 30 days to find an employer to sponsor them or immediately be turned into illegal immigrants. Have these people no understanding of how life works?” he said.
