Washington: The Trump administration has proposed new rules to restrict the duration of visas for international students, cultural exchange visitors, and foreign journalists, a move officials say is designed to tighten oversight and reduce misuse.

The proposed rule, announced Wednesday, would replace the current "duration of status" system - in place since 1978 - with fixed visa terms. Currently, student (F visa) and exchange (J visa) holders are admitted for an open-ended period tied to their enrolment or program, allowing them to remain in the country indefinitely without fresh vetting. Administration officials argue that this has enabled some to become "forever students", perpetually extending their stays.

Under the new framework, student and exchange visas would be capped at four years, while foreign journalists (I visas) would be limited to 240 days, with options for extension. For Chinese nationals on journalist visas, the cap would be even stricter at 90 days.

Any visa holder seeking to remain beyond their initial term would need to apply for an extension with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), giving the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a greater opportunity for review.

"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 amounts of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging US citizens," a DHS spokesperson said. "This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the US, easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history."