New Changes Impacting F-1 Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors

The Department of Homeland Security has finalized a rule that fundamentally changes how international students and exchange visitors are admitted to, and permitted to remain in, the United States. For nearly fifty years, F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors have been admitted under "Duration of Status," an arrangement that allowed them to remain in the country for as long as they maintained their program requirements, with no fixed expiration date recorded at entry. That system is now being replaced with fixed periods of admission, and the change will affect current visa holders as well as new applicants.

The rule was published following an executive order directing DHS to tighten oversight of nonimmigrant visa categories, and it takes effect on September 15, 2026.

What Duration of Status Meant Until Now

Under the current framework, most F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors are admitted with "D/S" noted on their Form I-94 rather than a specific end date. As long as a student maintained a valid SEVIS record, remained enrolled in an authorized course of study, or continued in an approved practical training period, that student's status did not expire on its own. Extensions, program changes, and related adjustments were generally handled by a school's designated school official (DSO) or a program's responsible officer, without the need to file directly with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

What Changes Under the New Rule

The new rule replaces that open-ended structure with a fixed admission period tied to the length of the individual's academic program or exchange program, subject to a maximum of four years per admission. This affects F-1 students, their F-2 dependents, J-1 exchange visitors — including researchers, scholars, physicians, and au pairs — and their J-2 dependents.

Several specific changes are worth noting:

Fixed admission periods. Students and exchange visitors will now receive an actual end date on their Form I-94, tied to their program length and capped at four years. Programs that typically run longer than four years, such as many doctoral programs, will require the student to seek additional time before that period expires.

Extensions move to USCIS. Where a DSO or program officer could previously extend a student's program end date directly, individuals will now need to file an Extension of Stay (EOS) application with USCIS before their authorized period expires. This shifts a process that has been handled at the institutional level for decades into a federal adjudication, including biometric and background screening.

Caps on English-language training. F-1 students in English-language training programs will face an aggregate limit of 24 months.

Shorter grace period. The departure grace period following completion of a program is reduced from 60 days to 30 days, giving students and exchange visitors less time to depart, transfer to a new program, or change status after finishing their studies.

Tighter restrictions on changes. Changing a major, changing academic levels, or transferring schools will be subject to stricter review, particularly for students early in their program.

Who Is Affected, and When

The rule applies to individuals currently in the United States in F-1 or J-1 status, not only to new entrants. DHS has built in transition provisions, so a student or exchange visitor properly maintaining status under Duration of Status will not automatically lose that status on September 15, 2026. However, the transition period is finite, and every current visa holder should confirm their program's end date under the new framework and understand the deadline by which an extension request, if needed, must be filed.

Why This Matters

This is one of the most significant changes to the U.S. student and exchange visitor visa system in decades. It shifts authority that has rested with universities and program sponsors for nearly half a century back to federal immigration adjudicators, and it introduces a fixed deadline — and a federal filing requirement — into a process that most students have never had to navigate directly. Missing an extension deadline under the new system carries real consequences, including the risk of falling out of status.

What Students and Exchange Visitors Should Do Now

International student offices and DSOs will remain an important resource for day-to-day compliance questions, SEVIS record issues, and program administration. But decisions about extension timing, eligibility, program changes, and how the transition provisions apply to an individual's specific circumstances are legal determinations with immigration consequences that extend well beyond a single semester or program. Anyone currently in F-1 or J-1 status, or advising institutions that sponsor these visas, should consult with immigration counsel directly to confirm how the new fixed admission period applies to their situation and to plan any required extension filing well in advance of the deadline.

This post is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary, and anyone affected by this rule should speak with an immigration attorney about their specific case.