The same policy change would also require clearance from "multiple" US agencies if a Chinese visa applicant is a manager or researcher with an organization on the Commerce Department's list of entities needing closer scrutiny. These could take months to process, according to the AP's contact.

The visa length changes are slated to take effect on June 11th. It's not certain exactly how they'll alter the economic landscape. As with tariffs, though, this could have a knock-on effect. While it might prevent China from taking advantage of American colleges and universities to accelerate its plans for tech dominance, it'd also make life difficult for Chinese people who simply want to study abroad. They may have to either renew their visas during a program or find another country that's willing to grant them visas for as long as it takes to pursue their degrees.