U.S. judge blocks Trump's move to limit duration of stay for foreign students, journalists: report

A U.S. federal judge has halted President Donald Trump's administration's plan to implement a new rule limiting the stay duration of foreign students, journalists, and other nonimmigrants in the United States, according to a report. U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston ruled against the administration, just one day before the rule was set to take effect.

The rule, introduced by the Department of Homeland Security in July, aimed to curb what it termed "visa abuse" by foreign students, exchange visitors, and media representatives amid the administration's intensified immigration enforcement. Under the proposed rule, nonimmigrant students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas would have been capped at four years of stay duration.

Additionally, the initial period for most foreign journalists would have been reduced to 240 days, with the possibility of a further 240-day extension. As of 2025, there were 11,861 South Korean students in the U.S. on F-1 visas, accompanied by 1,347 family members on F-2 visas. Additionally, there were 1,347 South Korean family members on F-2 visas.

The South Korean Embassy in Washington reported 349 South Korean family members on I visas, and 7,985 South Koreans on J-1 exchange visitor visas, with 3,180 family members accompanying them.