Unions, advocacy groups sue to overturn US visa rule for foreign students, journalists
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Under the new regulations, set to take effect on Sept 15, the student and exchange visa periods would be no longer than four years.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
- A coalition of unions and advocacy groups sued the US government to block a new rule limiting the duration of F, J, and I visas for foreign students, exchange visitors, and journalists.
- The rule, effective Sept 15, restricts student and exchange visas to four years and journalist visas to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals.
- Opponents warn the rule will harm universities, students, and journalists, causing economic losses; the Department of Homeland Security calls the lawsuit "performative" and cites concerns about visa fraud.
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WASHINGTON – A coalition of unions and advocacy groups sued the federal government on Aug 18, seeking to block a rule that would limit how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the US without applying for extensions.
The new rule from President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security creates a fixed time period for F visas for international students, J visas that allow visitors on cultural exchange programmes to work in the US, and I visas for members of the media. They are currently available for the duration of the programme or employment in the US.
Under the new regulations, set to take effect on Sept 15, the student and exchange visa periods would be no longer than four years. The visa for journalists, which can last years, would be up to 240 days or, in the case of Chinese nationals, 90 days.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the groups said the changes would be “catastrophic” for universities, international students and scholars. The US NewsGuild-CWA president Jon Schleuss described it as an attack on journalists. The NewsGuild represents many US journalists at Reuters.
“They will discourage foreign students and other non-immigrants from coming to the US, repelled by the intolerable prospect of losing lawful immigration status partway through their studies,” the groups said in the suit. “Students will lose opportunities, schools will lose talent, and the public will lose billions of dollars of economic contributions supported by one of the United States’ top exports: education.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson called the suit “performative” and said, without providing evidence: “If the media really cared about legitimate international students, they would be thanking President Trump for cracking down on the rampant fraud to ensure only those truly intending to study in the US are given the privilege.” REUTERS
