What the Duration of Status Elimination Means for Your I-94

Duration of Status elimination for F, J, and I nonimmigrants takes effect on 15 September 2026. The change ends decades of open-ended “Duration of Status” admission for foreign students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives. The Department of Homeland Security published the final rule on 17 July 2026. It creates a fixed admission period with a specific expiration date on each affected traveler’s Form I-94. That replaces the flexible D/S framework, which let students remain as long as they kept full-time enrollment.

What Duration of Status elimination changes for students

Under the new rule, most F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors will receive a specific Admit Until Date rather than an open-ended D/S notation. Admission periods are capped at up to four years for F-1 and J-1 holders, and up to 240 days for I nonimmigrants. That cap includes people already inside the United States under the old D/S framework when the rule takes effect. The change also limits how freely both graduate and undergraduate students can switch programs. It blocks foreign students who already completed a US degree from starting a second degree at the same academic level.

Who has to file for an extension, and when

Anyone who needs to stay in the country past their new Admit Until Date must file an extension-of-stay application with USCIS. They must also submit biometrics and demonstrate continued eligibility, well before the current authorization expires. Immigration attorneys are advising schools and exchange programs to start tracking individual expiration dates immediately. A missed extension filing under the new fixed-period system carries a harder deadline than the old D/S framework did. That older framework rarely forced a hard stop as long as a student stayed enrolled.

Why this rule is still not fully locked in

DHS has classified the rule as a “major rule” subject to congressional review under the Congressional Review Act. Congress retains a window to alter or block it, even after the 15 September effective date. DHS has said it will publish an additional Federal Register notice if that review process changes the effective date or terminates the rule outright. Universities and exchange-visitor sponsors are proceeding on the assumption the rule takes effect as scheduled. They are still watching for any congressional action that could shift the timeline again.

How many people the change actually touches

More than a million F-1 students and several hundred thousand J-1 exchange visitors were present in the United States as of the most recent government counts. Schools cite those figures in their own advising guidance. Not everyone will feel the change immediately. Students with admission periods that already carry years of runway will not need to file an extension right away. Every affected traveler now has a specific date to track, though, where before none existed.

Universities with large international enrollments say the administrative burden falls heaviest on them. That group includes many research institutions with multi-year PhD programs. Doctoral students often take five years or more to finish. That timeline runs well beyond the new four-year cap. Many of those students will need at least one extension filing before they graduate.

Designated school officials, the staff responsible for maintaining each student’s immigration record, now face a heavier compliance workload too. They must track individual Admit Until Dates across their entire enrolled population rather than a single shared D/S status. Several university systems have said they are hiring additional compliance staff specifically to manage the transition.

What happens next

International student offices across the country are updating their advising materials ahead of the 15 September effective date. They expect a wave of extension-of-stay filings in the following months, as fixed admission periods start expiring for students already well into multi-year programs. The rule adds to a string of changes affecting F and J visa holders this year. It follows a separate reduction to the F-1 grace period announced in August. Immigration attorneys expect further procedural guidance from USCIS as the first fixed-period expirations approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Duration of Status elimination take effect?

The rule takes effect 15 September 2026, though it remains subject to congressional review under the Congressional Review Act.

Who is affected by the change?

F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and I nonimmigrant foreign media representatives, including people already admitted under the old Duration of Status framework.

What replaces Duration of Status?

A fixed admission period with a specific Admit Until Date on the traveler’s Form I-94, capped at up to four years for F-1 and J-1 holders and up to 240 days for I nonimmigrants.

What happens if someone needs to stay longer than their new admission period?

They must file an extension-of-stay application with USCIS, submit biometrics, and demonstrate continued eligibility before their current authorization expires.

Can this rule still change before or after it takes effect?

Yes. DHS classified it as a major rule subject to congressional review, and the agency has said it will publish a further notice if that review changes the effective date or ends the rule.

Related Coverage

• F-1 visa grace period reduced
• New USCIS public charge rule explained
• J-1 exchange visitor rule proposal

Sources

• Duane Morris LLP — DHS Eliminates 'Duration of Status' for F, J and I Nonimmigrants, Fixed Admission Periods and New Extension-of-Stay Rules Take Effect September 15, 2026. https://www.duanemorris.com/alerts/dhs_eliminates_duration_status_f_j_i_nonimmigrants_fixed_admission_periods_new_extension_0726.html
• Cornell University Office of Global Learning — Update: DHS Ends Duration of Status. https://international.globallearning.cornell.edu/alerts/dhs-ends-duration-status