ZOAHARIAN.COM - New rules limit student and exchange visas to four years, while most journalist visas will be limited to 240 days.

A coalition of unions and advocacy groups in the United States has sued the federal government, seeking to block regulations that would limit how long foreign students and journalists can stay in the country without applying for an extension.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Tuesday, the group said the changes would be “catastrophic” for the university, international students and scholars.

The Department of Homeland Security's new regulations establish fixed terms for F visas for international students, J visas that allow visitors to cultural exchange programs to work in the U.S., and I visas for members of the media.

The visa is currently available for the duration of the program or work in the US.

Under the new regulations, which came into force on September 15, the validity period of student visas and exchange visas is no more than four years. Visas for journalists, which can currently last for years, could last up to 240 days or, for Chinese citizens, 90 days.

“They will discourage foreign students and other non-immigrants from coming to the United States, for fear of losing their lawful immigration status in the middle of their studies,” the group said in its lawsuit.

“Students will lose opportunities, schools will lose talent, and communities will lose billions of dollars in economic contributions supported by one of the United States' top exports: education.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson called the lawsuit “performative.”

“If the media truly cared about legitimate international students, they would thank President [Donald] Trump for cracking down on rampant fraud to ensure only those who truly intend to study in the United States are afforded the privilege,” the spokesperson said, without providing evidence of the alleged fraud.

US NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss described the new rules as an attack on journalists.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, a national teachers union, said the U.S. is “breaking the law for its own political purposes and, in doing so, harming America and corporate America,” using international students as “pawns.”

“The recent assault on knowledge by the Trump administration arbitrarily limits how long international scholars have to complete their studies and risks turning a friendly environment for students into a hostile one,” Weingarten said.