On September 15, 2026, “duration of status” ends. Under a DHS final rule published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2026, international students (F visas), exchange visitors (J visas), and foreign journalists (I visas) will no longer be admitted to the US for an open-ended stay tied to their program. Instead: F and J visitors get a fixed admission of their program length or four years, whichever is shorter; journalists get up to 240 days (90 for PRC passport holders). Staying longer requires filing an extension with USCIS. The post-completion grace period for students drops from 60 days to 30. If you’re already in the US, you keep duration of status until you leave and re-enter — after September 15, every re-entry comes with a hard expiration date. Here’s exactly how it works and what to do before fall term.
Every figure below is verified against the Federal Register final rule (DHS Docket ICEB-2025-0001), DHS’s announcement, and Study in the States, date-stamped August 4, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice — your Designated School Official (DSO) or an immigration attorney should guide your specific case.
What “Duration of Status” Was — and Why It Mattered
Since 1978 for students (1985 for exchange visitors and journalists), F, J, and I visa holders have been admitted for “duration of status” (D/S): no expiration date on the I-94 record, just the notation “D/S.” As long as you kept studying full-time, kept your exchange program going, or kept working for your foreign outlet, your stay remained lawful — no renewal filings, no clock. A five-year PhD, a seven-year PhD, post-completion practical training: all covered by the same open-ended admission.
DHS’s stated rationale for ending it: the population grew enormously — over 1.8 million F-visa admissions in fiscal 2024, more than 500,000 J admissions, and roughly 37,300 I admissions — and the agency says open-ended stays limit its ability to periodically re-vet people. The same change was proposed in 2020 and withdrawn in 2021; the 2025 proposal has now been finalized.
What Changes on September 15, 2026
| Before (D/S era) | After Sept 15, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| F / J admission | Open-ended: as long as you maintain status | Fixed: program length or 4 years, whichever is shorter |
| I (journalist) admission | Open-ended (with earlier PRC exceptions) | Up to 240 days; 90 days for PRC passport holders (Hong Kong/Macau excluded); extensions up to 240 days |
| Staying longer | No filing needed while maintaining status | Extension of stay filed with USCIS before the I-94 date |
| F-1 grace period after program end | 60 days | 30 days |
| I-94 record | “D/S” notation | Hard expiration date |
The rule also tightens scrutiny of school transfers and program changes, particularly at the graduate level — check the rule text and your DSO’s guidance for specifics before changing programs.
Am I Affected? The Three Scenarios
1. You’re in the US now and stay put
You generally keep your D/S admission for now. The transition applies at the border: your existing “D/S” I-94 remains valid while you remain in the US and maintain status.
2. You travel abroad and re-enter on or after September 15
This is the moment your status converts. Your new I-94 will carry a fixed expiration date under the new framework. Factor this into any winter-break or conference travel: leaving is fine, but you return under the new rules.
3. You’re arriving for the first time on or after September 15
You’re admitted under the fixed-period system from day one — program length or four years, whichever is shorter, plus the 30-day departure window.
The Four-Year Cap and Longer Programs
Most bachelor’s and master’s students finish inside four years and may never need to file anything. The pressure lands on PhD students, MD-PhD candidates, and anyone whose program legitimately runs past four years: they’ll need to file an extension of stay with USCIS before their admission expires and demonstrate they’re maintaining status and progressing.
The mechanics that matter, straight from the rule’s framework:
- A timely-filed extension protects you: if your application is pending when your I-94 date passes, your stay remains authorized while USCIS decides.
- A denial ends it: if the extension is denied, the authorized stay ends and you must depart.
- Volume is the wild card: DHS’s own analysis projects on the order of 414,000 additional extension filings per year landing on USCIS — an agency already carrying a multi-million-case backlog. Immigration attorneys have reported extension categories commonly taking many months to adjudicate. Practical translation: file as early as the rules allow.
What About OPT?
Post-completion Optional Practical Training previously lived comfortably inside D/S. Under the fixed-period framework, your authorized stay is bounded by your I-94 date — so students whose program-plus-OPT timeline extends past their admission period will need the extension-of-stay process to cover it. The rule’s OPT mechanics have detailed conditions: do not plan an OPT timeline in 2026–27 without walking it through your DSO, and treat any third-party summary (including this one) as a starting point, not the final word.
For Journalists on I Visas
The foreign-press change is the sharpest: from years-long open-ended assignments to 240-day admissions (extensions possible up to 240 days at a time, tied to the assignment), and 90 days for PRC passport holders, excluding Hong Kong and Macau. The rule also narrows what counts as a qualifying “foreign media organization” — it must regularly produce journalism and maintain a home office abroad, which may affect freelancers and smaller outlets. Press-freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have publicly opposed the change; a legal challenge window remains open, so track the rule’s status if your assignment depends on it.
What to Do Before Fall Term
- Know your dates. After any post-September-15 entry, your I-94 (checkable on CBP’s I-94 site) carries a hard expiration — calendar it the day you arrive.
- Talk to your DSO or program sponsor now, especially if your program runs past four years or includes OPT. Universities are building transition guidance before fall term.
- Plan travel deliberately. If you’re in the US on D/S, understand that your next re-entry converts you to a fixed date. That’s not a reason to cancel travel — it’s a reason to know what date you’ll be given.
- Budget time for extensions. If you’ll need one, prepare the filing months ahead of your expiration, not weeks.
- Keep status spotless. Fixed periods mean more frequent government reviews — full course loads, timely SEVIS updates, and clean records matter more, not less.
Students eyeing a longer-term US future should also understand the paths beyond student status — many researchers qualify for the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (self-petition, no employer needed), and anyone heading toward permanent residence will eventually meet the I-485 adjustment of status process. Nationals of countries under current US entry restrictions should read our entry-restrictions explainer before making travel plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “duration of status” on an F-1 visa?
The open-ended admission system used since 1978: instead of an expiration date, your I-94 says “D/S,” and your stay is lawful as long as you maintain full-time study and program compliance. This system ends for new admissions on September 15, 2026.
I’m already in the US on F-1 — does the rule affect me?
Not immediately. You keep your D/S admission while you remain in the US and maintain status. Your next departure and re-entry on or after September 15, 2026 converts you to a fixed-date admission.
What happens if my PhD takes longer than four years?
You file an extension of stay with USCIS before your admission period expires. A timely-filed application keeps your stay authorized while pending; file as early as allowed, because processing volumes are expected to surge.
Is the 60-day grace period gone?
Yes — the post-completion departure window for students drops to 30 days under the new rule. Plan your post-graduation timeline (OPT filing, departure, or change of status) around the shorter window.
Does the rule change OPT?
OPT still exists, but it now has to fit within your fixed admission period or be covered by an extension of stay. The interaction is detailed and case-specific — confirm your exact timeline with your DSO before relying on any summary.
How long can foreign journalists stay under the new rule?
Initial admission up to 240 days, extendable in increments up to 240 days tied to the assignment. Journalists on PRC passports (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) are limited to 90 days.
Sources: Federal Register final rule of July 17, 2026 (DHS Docket ICEB-2025-0001); DHS newsroom; Study in the States (DHS); contemporaneous reporting on effective dates and filing projections. Rules can change — including via litigation or congressional review — so verify current status on official sources. Not legal advice. Date-stamped August 4, 2026.
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