Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security published a final rule on July 17 that will replace the long-standing “duration of status” system with fixed I-94 admission dates and is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026.
- Harvard and other universities are advising F-1 and J-1 students and J-1 scholars to be physically present in the United States on September 15 to preserve transition protections because leaving and reentering after that date can trigger the new fixed-date rules.
- A coalition of higher-education groups and labor unions sued to block the rule and on Tuesday, Aug. 18 asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction to halt its implementation while the case proceeds.
- Under the new framework most new admissions will carry an “Admit Until Date,” will generally be capped at four years, will shorten the F-1 grace period to 30 days for future admissions, and will require USCIS filings, fees and biometric checks for extensions instead of campus-based administrative updates.
- Universities and student advocates warn the change could cause USCIS backlogs, risk unlawful-presence accrual if decisions are delayed, hamper transfers and long research tracks such as Ph.D.s or postdocs, and deter international enrollment while DHS says the rule is needed to curb visa abuse.