voice of america news article on dhs i visa proposals

On Tuesday November 10 Voice of America - VOA wrote about the recent Department of Homeland Security proposals to change regulations on 'I' Visa and about how the Foreign Press Association has been responding to this.

The Foreign Press Association has been working with partners to bring this issue to wider attention.

As Dalia Faheid reported in The Voice of America 11/10/20:

Groups including the Foreign Press Association (FPA), an independent press organization based in New York, say the DHS move will make coverage in the U.S. more difficult and could result in reciprocation from other countries.

During the official period for comment, the association released a joint statement with other media groups opposing the rule. It also plans to lobby elected officials, association president Ian Williams said.

A seven-month visa won’t allow foreign journalists to make proper arrangements when they arrive in the U.S., Williams, who is a contributor at The Guardian, told VOA. “You can't get a lease on an apartment for 240 days. You can't bring a spouse and children across for 240 days.”

Allowing journalists to report in the U.S. for a number of years helps them to better understand the country they are reporting on, Williams said, but reporting for 240 days will leave them in a state of uncertainty.