Final Rule on F-1/J-1 Duration of Status Published
A published by the Department of Homeland Security on July 17 eliminates "Duration of Status" for individuals in F/J status and implements new regulations governing F/J status. The final rule takes effect September 15, 2026, and applies to:
- Individuals who enter the United States in F or J status on or after September 15, 2026, and
- Individuals who are already in the United States, even if their current Form I-94 reflects "D/S" (Duration of Status); however, a transitional allowance will apply during the first year of implementation for those already in the U.S.
The Office of International Education (OIE) will continue to communicate updates in the coming days and weeks as we analyze the changes, develop procedures to implement the new rules, and update the OIE website with the changes and FAQs. A town hall is being planned for early in the fall semester to provide an overview of the new rule and answer questions from the campus community. The date and time will be shared once finalized.
Key changes include:
- Replaces Duration of Status (D/S) with a fixed end date on the I-94 for individuals in F or J status.
- Limits periods of stay to a maximum of four years, with the possibility of requesting an extension, and reduces the F-1 grace period from 60 days to 30 days, aligning it with the current J-1 grace period.
- Prevents undergraduate students from changing their major or transferring to another school during their first academic year by requiring them to complete one academic year at their initial institution first.
- Prohibits graduate students from changing programs at any point during their program of study and does not allow graduate students to pursue another program at the same or a lower educational level after completing one degree.
- Requires students and exchange visitors seeking additional time for program completion to file an extension of stay application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including the required form and fee, after receiving a new Form I-20 or DS-2019 from OIE.
- Provides a transition period for students/scholars in F/J status on the effective date of the new rule, provided they remain in the U.S.
These are significant changes to F/J immigration statuses, and students and scholars will need to pay attention and understand the effects on their individual situation in order to continue complying with new rules governing their status. We encourage the university community to monitor the OIE website as we provide additional details and summarize information about the new rules.
We know changes can cause uncertainty and anxiety, and we want students and scholars to know that we are here to support you. We will reach out more in the coming days with updates, FAQs and additional guidance; however, if you have a time-sensitive question, please reach out to us at oie@andrew.cmu.edu.