The Trump administration has unveiled sweeping new visa restrictions that will significantly reduce how long African journalists and other foreign media professionals can remain in the United States, drawing sharp criticism from press freedom advocates.
Under the new policy announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), visas for foreign journalists will be limited to a maximum of 240 days, or about eight months, replacing the previous system that allowed many to remain in the country for up to five years. Chinese journalists will face even stricter limits, with visas capped at just 90 days.
The changes also affect international students and exchange visitors. The administration said the reforms are aimed at ending the long standing “duration of status” system, which allowed eligible foreign nationals to stay in the US for as long as they continued to meet visa requirements without fixed expiry dates.
The new rules are expected to take effect 60 days after they are published in the Federal Register.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the policy, saying the existing system had weakened national security and opened the door to immigration abuse.
“For nearly half a century, the outdated duration of status system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” Mullin said.
He argued that introducing fixed visa periods would strengthen the government’s ability to screen, monitor and vet people entering and remaining in the country.
The administration also claimed that some foreign students had exploited the previous rules by repeatedly enrolling in courses to avoid leaving the United States.
However, press freedom organisations have strongly condemned the move, warning that it could undermine independent journalism and discourage foreign correspondents, including African journalists, from reporting freely while working in the US.
Reporters Without Borders described the decision as a serious blow to press freedom.
“We are outraged that the Trump administration has cruelly limited the duration of visas for foreign journalists from a period of up to five years to a fixed eight months,” the organisation said in a statement.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also criticised the policy, calling it “the behavior of a backsliding democracy, not the international vanguard of free speech.”
Although foreign journalists will still be able to apply for visa extensions, media advocates warn that the need for repeated renewals could make reporters reluctant to publish stories critical of the administration for fear their applications could be denied.
The visa restrictions come as President Donald Trump continues to clash with several news organisations while pursuing tougher immigration policies during his second term.
Chinese journalists are expected to be among the hardest hit. Beijing has condemned the decision as discriminatory, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urging Washington to reverse the policy.
“China urges the US to immediately revoke its discriminatory policies targeting Chinese journalists and effectively safeguard their lawful rights and interests in the US,” Lin said, adding that Beijing reserves the right to take reciprocal countermeasures.
The Trump administration first proposed a similar 90 day visa limit for foreign journalists during its first term in 2020, but the measure was later abandoned by the Biden administration before being revived this year.
