The United States is implementing a new visa regulation that tightens working conditions for foreign journalists. The change, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, ends the flexible "status period" system that allowed journalists to stay as long as they met the requirements. Instead, a fixed 240-day visa term is introduced for all foreign journalists.
However, for Chinese journalists, this period is set at 90 days. The 240-day visas can be extended, but the 90-day rule for Chinese journalists will not apply to those from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions.
The regulation is scheduled to take effect 60 days after publication in the US Federal Register. China's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Press groups react
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticized the shortening of visa durations. In a statement, RSF said, "This change eliminates the ability of international journalists to report from the United States and makes it extremely difficult for international media organizations to operate here."
The Committee to Protect Journalists described the new visa policy as "a regressive act of democracy."
Reason for the change
The Department of Homeland Security first proposed this change in August 2025. At the time, the department stated that the increase in the number of foreign journalists in the US "posed challenges" to its ability to "monitor and supervise nonimmigrant individuals during their stay in the United States."