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The Trump administration has finalized immigration rules shortening several forms of visas for foreign visitors and residents in the U.S., with particular emphasis on students and the press.

The rule changes, announced last week by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), end the “duration of status” system, which had allowed foreign visitors on certain visas to remain in the country, without the need for repeated application renewals, if they continued to meet eligibility rules.

DHS characterized the duration of status rule as a “loophole,” despite the long practice of its use. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin further derided duration of status as “compromis[ing] national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud.”

Nonimmigrant foreign students on F visas and foreign exchange students on J Visas would be affected by the rule change affecting academics. Formerly, foreign students were allowed to remain in the U.S. for the duration of their studies. The new rule, however, imposes periodic reevaluations of their visa status.

The rule also limits a two-month “grace period” after students in colleges or universities graduate, which allows them time to reapply for new visas or decide whether they want to return to their home country. Under the new rule, that time frame is reduced to just 30 days.

Trump Administration Suspends Processing of Immigrant Visas From 75 Countries

“It is a solution in search of a problem,” Fanta Aw, the executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, said to Newsweek regarding the rule changes. “International students and exchange visitors are........

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