Why was the new U.S. visa rule expected to affect so many Koreans?

The rule was expected to affect more than 13,000 Koreans in the U.S. because many were in visa categories subject to the stay limits. The article says 11,861 Koreans were on F-1 visas, 7,985 on J-1 visas, and 349 held I visas.

What limits would the DHS rule have imposed on students and foreign journalists?

Students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas would have been capped at four years in the United States. Most foreign journalists would have been limited to an initial stay of 240 days and would have had to apply for extensions of up to another 240 days.

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

Q: What did the Boston judge block in the Trump administration’s visa rule for foreign students and journalists?

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor blocked enforcement of the rule that would have restricted how long foreign students, journalists and other nonimmigrants could stay in the U.S. without a visa extension. The decision came one day before the rule was set to take effect.

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Summary

A U.S. federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration on Monday from enforcing a new rule that would limit how long foreign students, journalists and other nonimmigrants can stay in the United States without a visa extension. The rule was set to begin the next day and was expected to affect more than 13,000 Koreans in the U.S. Under the rule, students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas would have faced a four-year cap, while most foreign journalists would have been limited to 240 days initially.

Key Facts

The Department of Homeland Security unveiled the rule in July as part of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
The rule would have capped F-visa and J-visa stays at four years.
Most foreign journalists would have been limited to an initial stay of 240 days, with the option to apply for a 240-day extension.
As of 2025, 11,861 Korean students were in the U.S. on F-1 visas and 7,985 Koreans were in the U.S. on J-1 exchange visitor visas, according to the Korean Embassy in Washington.
The number of Korean I visa holders stood at 349, and 1,347 family members were accompanying F-1 students while 3,180 family members were accompanying J-1 exchange visitors.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 15, 2026 8:31 am KST

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling back from Ireland to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Sept. 13. AFP-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from enforcing a new rule restricting how long foreign students, journalists and other nonimmigrants can stay in the United States without a visa extension, according to a report.

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston issued the ruling, Reuters reported, a day before the Trump administration was set to start implementing the rule, which was expected to affect more than 13,000 Koreans currently in the U.S. under visa programs subject to the rule.

The Department of Homeland Security unveiled the rule in July to address what it called "visa abuse" by foreign students, exchange visitors and media representatives, as the administration doubled down on its immigration crackdown.

Under the rule, the administration was to cap the duration of stay for nonimmigrant students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas at four years. The rule also would have limited the initial period of stay for most foreign journalists to 240 days, after which they would have to apply for an extension of up to 240 days.

As of 2025, 11,861 Korean students were in the U.S. on F-1 visas, while 1,347 family members were accompanying them on F-2 visas, according to the Korean Embassy in Washington.

The number of Korean I visa holders stood at 349, while 7,985 Koreans were in the U.S. on J-1 exchange visitor visas, accompanied by 3,180 family members.

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