DHS has now turned to OPT. In a proposed rule published October 8, 2026, ICE would require schools to pay $70,000 for every F-1 student who receives initial OPT, and another $30,000 for any subsequent OPT period, including the 24-month STEM extension. If the school doesn’t pay, the DSO can’t enter the OPT recommendation in...
F-1 International students- CPT/OPT and STEM OPT
One day before it was set to take effect, a federal district court blocked the DHS rule ending “duration of status” (D/S) for F-1, J-1, and I nonimmigrants. On September 14, 2026, Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV (D. Mass.) entered a nationwide preliminary injunction barring DHS and ICE from implementing the rule while the litigation...
On August 18, 2026, a coalition of university groups and labor unions filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to block the rule ending duration of status that I wrote about last month. They filed a motion for a preliminary injunction along with the complaint. The lawsuit claims that DHS...
On July 17, 2026, DHS published a final rule ending duration of status for F-1 students, replacing it with a fixed admission period capped at four years. I wrote about what that means for Day 1 CPT here. Less than a month later, on August 12, 2026, SEVP issued Broadcast Message BCM 2608-01, “Reminder of...
The New F-1 Rule Ending Duration Of Status: What It Means For Day 1 CPT By Chris Prescott, Partner, PSBP Law On July 17, 2026, DHS published a final rule eliminating “duration of status” (D/S) for F-1 students and replacing it with a fixed period of admission, capped at four years, effective September 15, 2026....
Jul172026
If you’re an international student, exchange visitor, or foreign media professional in the United States, a major change to how you’re admitted is coming this fall. On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that eliminates “Duration of Status” (D/S) for F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and I...
A Department of Homeland Security final rule that would eliminate “Duration of Status” (D/S) for F-1 students (also J-1 visa holders) has now cleared the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB cleared the rule (RIN: 1653-AA95) on June 17, 2026, the last procedural step before publication in the Federal Register. The rule is...
With the current environment around immigration enforcement, now is a good time to revisit the rules governing F-1 student employment particularly the unemployment day limits that catch many students off guard. The Basics: What F-1 Students Can and Cannot Do International students on an F-1 visa have several avenues for lawful employment, but each comes...