Entertainment
Trump administration moves to tighten duration of visas for students, media
- Proposed regulation caps student, exchange visas at four years max.
- Media visas may shrink to 240 days or 90 days for Chinese nationals.
- About 1.6 million foreign students are currently in the US on F visas.
The Trump administration aims to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued on Wednesday, part of a broader crackdown on legal immigration.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January.
The latest move would create new hurdles for international students, exchange workers and foreign journalists who would have to apply to extend their stay in the US rather than maintain a more flexible legal status.
The proposed regulation would create a fixed time period for F visas for international students, J visas that allow visitors on cultural exchange programs to work in the US, and I visas for members of the media.
Those visas are currently available for the duration of the program or US-based employment.
There were about 1.6 million international students on F visas in the US in 2024, according to US government data.
The US granted visas to about 355,000 exchange visitors and 13,000 members of the media in fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, 2023.
The student and exchange visa periods would be no longer than four years, the proposed regulation said. The visa for journalists – which currently can last years – would be up to 240 days or, in the case of Chinese nationals, 90 days. The visa holders could apply for extensions, the proposal said.
The Trump administration said in the proposed regulation that the change was needed to better “monitor and oversee” the visa holders while they were in the United States.
The public will have 30 days to comment on the measure, which mirrors a proposal put forward in 2020 at the end of Trump’s first term in office.
NAFSA, a non-profit organisation representing international educators at more than 4,300 institutions worldwide, opposed the 2020 proposal and called on the Trump administration to scrap it.
The Democratic administration of then-President Joe Biden withdrew it in 2021.
The Trump administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration, revoking student visas and green cards of university students over their ideological views and stripping legal status from hundreds of thousands of migrants.
In an August 22 memo, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it would resume long-dormant visits to citizenship applicants’ neighbourhoods to check what it termed residency, moral character and commitment to American ideals.
Ben Stiller has publicly demanded the White House remove a clip from his 2008 film Tropic Thunder from a government-produced video promoting the Trump administration’s military strikes on Iran, calling it “propaganda” and declaring that “war is not a movie.”
Stiller posted his objection on X after a White House video began circulating on social media, featuring clips from a string of major Hollywood films and television shows, including Gladiator, Braveheart, Iron Man, Breaking Bad, Deadpool, and Top Gun, intercut with real-life drone strike footage, and concluding with a voiceover declaring “flawless victory.”
“Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip,” Stiller wrote. “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”
The video sparked immediate and widespread backlash online.
Journalist Séamus Malekafzali wrote, “I don’t think a more embarrassing and humiliating thing has ever been produced before by any government in human history. I somehow might be underselling it.”
ABC Saturday Extra host Nick Bryant asked, “Are there any grown ups in the White House? Is there any understanding of the seriousness and horror of war? This is frat house not White House.”
Podcaster Vince Mancini drew a sharp historical comparison, questioning why the administration would bother with a supercut of old films as justification for military action.
Machine Gun Kelly had to set the record straight with paparazzi in Paris after photographers mistakenly called out Megan Fox’s name as he arrived at the Stella McCartney fashion show with his teenage daughter Casie.
Video posted by Paris Videostars captured the moment on Wednesday as the father and daughter made their way to the show during Paris Fashion Week.
Photographers shouting Fox’s name were quickly corrected by the rapper, who shot back: “That’s my daughter, not Megan.”
The mix-up was an awkward one, MGK, 35, shares Casie, 16, with ex Emma Cannon, not Fox.
MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, was dressed in a tank top with “hardcore” printed across the chest, a green jacket, jeans, and black sunglasses.
Casie wore a heather grey minidress, pointed-toe heels, sunglasses, and a sparkly mini purse. The pair posed for photos before heading into the show.
Afterwards, MGK posted a series of snaps from their Paris trip on Instagram, captioning the carousel with characteristic self-deprecating humour: “got mogged by my own flesh and blood.”
The rapper and Fox have had a complicated recent history.
They reportedly ended their on-again, off-again relationship in 2024 while Fox was pregnant with their daughter, Saga Blade.
The pair first met in 2020 on the set of Midnight in the Switchgrass, got engaged in 2022, and called off the engagement in March 2024.
A source told that the exes “haven’t been together in a real way for a long time now and whatever they had romantically is done.”
MGK himself dismissed the ongoing speculation with a cryptic Instagram Story in January, writing: “Mainstream gossip media is so [corn emoji].”
Prince William and Kate could soon be heading across the Atlantic to help mend an “all-time low” in UK-US relations.
Diplomats in Washington are reportedly counting on a high-profile royal visit to reset ties after months of tension, which began following the King’s hosting of former President Trump at Windsor last year.
Sources according to Gb News suggest the White House is particularly eager to welcome the couple, with July 4 celebrations under consideration as a potential highlight.
This trip would mark her first official overseas engagement for Kate since her recent illness.
As Patron of the, the Prince of Wales might take in a World Cup match during the visit, while Catherine’s participation will depend on family and schedule considerations.
Royal insiders note that the positive rapport the former president reportedly has with the family could play a key role in smoothing diplomatic tensions.
One source said that his fondness for the monarchy “trumps” other political disagreements.
A full-scale state visit would likely include the King and Queen alongside William and Catherine, satisfying calls from Washington for an “unprecedented” display of goodwill.
Palace sources stress that while the optics of a state visit are carefully managed, the ultimate purpose is to represent the nation and maintain historic ties. “This is the job,” a former aide said.
Winners and losers of the 2026 NHL trade deadline
Ben Stiller condemns use of ‘Tropic Thunder’ clip in political video
Spain, France lead World Cup 2026 Power Rankings, 100 days out
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
Policy easing drives Argentina’s garment import surge in 2025
-
Business1 week ago
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
-
Fashion1 week agoPolicy easing drives Argentina’s garment import surge in 2025
-
Business1 week ago
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
-
Politics1 week agoUS arrests ex-Air Force pilot for ‘training’ Chinese military
-
Entertainment1 week agoBobby J. Brown, “The Wire” and “Law & Order: SUV” actor, dies of smoke inhalation after reported fire
-
Sports1 week agoLPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’
-
Politics1 week agoWhat are Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities?
-
Sports1 week agoSri Lanka’s Shanaka says constant criticism has affected players’ mental health