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 (foreign media representative) nonimmigrants. Going forward, these categories will be admitted for a fixed period of time with a specific end date.
The rule is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026.
Here’s what’s changing and what it means for you.
What Is D/S?
F, J, and most I nonimmigrants have been admitted for “duration of status.” D/S means your authorized stay lasted as long as you were actively enrolled in your program, participating in your exchange visitor activities, or working in your foreign media role, plus a short grace period afterward. There was no fixed expiration date stamped on your admission (I-94).
DHS says this open-ended structure has made it too difficult to verify whether people are complying with their status. The agency points to cases of students remaining enrolled for decades, fraud involving “pay-to-stay” schools, and a handful of serious national-security cases as justification for tightening oversight.
The Core Change: Fixed Admission Periods
Instead of D/S, here’s how admission will generally work:
-
F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors: Admitted for the length of your specific program, up to a maximum of 4 years. With only a 30-day grace period.
-
I nonimmigrants (foreign media): Admitted for a fixed period tied to your assignment, generally not to exceed 240 days.
Change #2: Extension of Status Application
If you need more time after that, you’ll have to file an Extension of Stay application directly with USCIS. And a USCIS officer, not your school’s Designated School Official (DSO) or your program’s Responsible Officer (RO), will decide whether you get it.
Program extensions from your DSO/RO and an Extension of Status approval from USCIS are now two separate things. Your DSO’s or RO’s recommendation is just one factor USCIS will weigh.
Extension of Stay applications require biometrics and evidence such as proof of financial support and continued ties abroad.
Other Notable Changes for F-1 Students
- Departure window cut in half: The grace period to prepare to leave the U.S. after finishing a program (or after post-completion practical training) is shrinking from 60 days to 30 days. If you end your studies or training early, you and your dependents will also need to depart, or take steps to maintain status, within 30 days.
- Tighter rules on changing schools or programs: If you change your educational objective or transfer schools, you’ll generally need to complete a full academic year at the school that issued your original Form I-20 first (absent an SEVP-authorized exception).
- Graduate students face new restrictions: F-1 students at the graduate level or above generally cannot change their educational objective or transfer schools at any point during their program, except in extenuating circumstances approved by SEVP.
- Degree-level progression: Once you finish a program at one educational level, a new F-1 program generally must be at a higher level — not the same or a lower one.
- Language training capped: F-1 students in English language training programs are now limited to a combined 24 months, including breaks and vacation time.
- OPT/STEM OPT cushion: For the first six months after the rule takes effect, students applying for post-completion OPT or STEM OPT employment authorization get a short-term reprieve from needing to separately file an EOS.
- Employment bridge during a pending EOS: If your EOS application is still pending after your admission period expires, you may be eligible for an automatic extension of on- or off-campus work authorization, up to 240 days, based on the existing severe economic hardship provision.
What to Consider
- More paperwork and more deadlines; You need to track a real expiration date and file on time.
- More discretion in the hands of USCIS officers, rather than your school or program administrator, for extension decisions.
-
Real consequences for missed deadlines; Falling out of status after your fixed period expires can trigger unlawful presence, which can lead to the 3-year or 10-year reentry bars if you later leave the United States.
What You Should Do Now
The new rule will only apply to extensions and new admissions beginning September 15, 2026. There are no changes to your status if your current I-94 indicates “D/S.”
If your situation is complex (a lengthy program, a pending change of educational objective, a prior status issue), consider getting individualized legal advice well before your admission period runs out.
*This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about how this rule affects your specific situation, contact our office to schedule a consultation.*
Questions? Please contact Attorney Natalia Meade at nmeade@psbplaw.com
