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20 Sep 2026
Boston courthouse steps, where the duration of status rule was paused

A Judge Paused the Rule That Would Cap Student Visas at Four Years

Categories Study Abroad, Visa Updates

In this article

The duration of status rule that would have capped student and exchange visitor stays
at four years is on hold. On 14 September 2026, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts
issued a nationwide preliminary injunction postponing the effective date of the Department of Homeland
Security’s final rule, one day before it was due to take effect. The long-standing duration of status
framework stays in place while the case continues.

What the duration of status rule would have changed

DHS published the final rule on 17 July 2026. It would have ended open-ended admission for F-1 students,
J-1 exchange visitors and I media representatives, and replaced it with fixed admission periods.

Under the rule, F-1 and J-1 holders would generally have been admitted to the end of their programme or
for four years, whichever came first. The grace period after completion would have dropped from 60 days to
30. Anyone needing longer would have had to file for an extension of stay rather than simply remaining in
valid status.

International students at a university fair affected by the duration of status rule
Doctoral programmes routinely run past four years, which is where the rule bit hardest.

Why the court paused the duration of status rule

District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV took the case. The court cited administrative complexity and the
impracticality of running parallel regulatory frameworks across institutions and students nationwide. In
plain terms, the changeover itself looked likely to cause more disruption than the rule could justify
while its legality remained unresolved.

A preliminary injunction is not a ruling on the merits. It suspends the rule so that the litigation can
proceed without the disputed policy taking effect in the meantime. Courts grant one when the challengers
look likely to win and the harm from letting the policy start would be hard to undo.

Who this affects most

Doctoral candidates carried the sharpest risk. Consider an Indian engineering PhD student in her third
year of a programme that typically runs five to six years. Under the rule she would have hit the four-year
ceiling mid-research and needed an extension of stay filing to continue, with the processing delay that
implies. Under the current framework she simply remains in status while enrolled.

Language programmes, medical residents on J-1 status and foreign correspondents on I visas also fell in
scope. Undergraduates on four-year degrees faced the least exposure, though even they would have lost half
the grace period.

University administrators had their own problem. Running two admission frameworks side by side means
two sets of advising rules, two compliance workflows and two ways to make an honest mistake that costs a
student their status. That practical burden shaped the court’s reasoning.

How this fits the wider immigration picture

This is the second recent instance of a court stopping a DHS rule before it started. It also sits
alongside changes that did take effect, including the stricter public charge test now applied to green
card filings. Our coverage of
what the public charge change does and does not apply to
and
the separate birth tourism rule a court blocked
sets out the pattern. Students weighing alternatives may also want
the latest Canadian Express Entry draw figures.

Where the litigation goes from here

DHS can appeal the injunction to the First Circuit. It can also go back and issue a revised rule that
tries to answer the court’s practical objections. Either route takes months. In the meantime the operative
question for anyone on an F, J or I visa is simple: nothing about your current admission has changed.

Track the case through
NAFSA’s litigation page
and
the Presidents’ Alliance case tracker,
both of which post filings as they land. Your own school’s international office is the source that applies
to your specific record.

Duration of status rule: common questions

Is the duration of status rule in effect right now?

No. A federal court postponed its effective date on 14 September 2026. The existing duration of status framework still applies to F-1, J-1 and I visa holders.

What would the rule have changed?

It would have replaced open-ended admission with a fixed period: the end of the programme or four years, whichever is shorter, plus a 30-day grace period instead of 60 days.

Does the injunction cover everyone or only the plaintiffs?

The court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction postponing the rule’s effective date, not a party-specific order.

Is this a final decision?

No. A preliminary injunction suspends a rule while litigation continues. DHS can appeal, and the case can still be decided either way.

Do I need to file anything differently?

Not because of this order. Your I-20 or DS-2019 and your existing admission terms are unchanged. Check with your designated school official or responsible officer before acting on anything you read online.

Could the rule come back?

Yes. DHS could win on appeal, or issue a revised rule addressing the court’s concerns. Treat the current position as a pause, not a cancellation.

Sources

15 Sep 2026
Campus international student centre illustrating the duration of status injunction

The Student Visa Rule Due Today Just Got Frozen by a Judge

Categories Immigration, Study Abroad

A federal judge has frozen the rule that was due to end duration of status today. The
duration of status injunction came from the U.S. District Court for the District of
Massachusetts on 14 September 2026. It postpones the effective date of a Department of Homeland Security
final rule. That rule would have replaced open-ended admission with a fixed term for F-1 students, J-1
exchange visitors and I media representatives. DHS published it on 17 July. It was set to bite on 15
September. For now, it does not.

Inside this story

What the duration of status injunction actually does

Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV granted a nationwide preliminary injunction. The order postpones the rule’s
effective date while the case proceeds. It does not strike the rule down. That distinction matters. DHS can
still defend the rule, and an appeal court could narrow or lift the order.

The court found the plaintiffs likely to succeed on their claim that the rule breached the Administrative
Procedure Act. That statute governs how federal agencies write rules. Courts use it to test whether an
agency explained itself and followed the required process.

The plaintiffs are a coalition rather than a single school. They include NAFSA: Association of
International Educators, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and the Association
of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts. Three unions joined them: the American Federation
of Teachers with its Graduate Labor Organization local, the United Auto Workers with UAW Local 2322, and the
NewsGuild-CWA. The union presence reflects how many affected people work as teaching and research staff.

Federal courthouse in Boston where the duration of status injunction was issued
The Boston federal courthouse, where the order postponing the DHS rule was issued on 14 September 2026.

What the blocked rule would have changed

The July rule rewrote a system that has run since 1978. Under duration of status, an F-1 student stays
lawfully while they make progress in their programme. There is no end date stamped on the admission record.
The rule would have replaced that with a date certain.

The headline change was a cap. New admissions would run for the length of the programme or four years,
whichever was shorter. Anyone needing longer would file an extension of stay with U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services and show a compelling reason. A pending extension would carry an automatic 240-day
authorisation.

The grace period after finishing a programme would have dropped from 60 days to 30 for F visa holders.
Students who completed one level could move up to a higher degree, but not sideways or down. Graduate
students would have been barred from changing educational level or major at any point. Undergraduates would
have faced that bar in their first year, absent extenuating circumstances. Dependants would have followed
the same fixed-term structure.

Consider a doctoral researcher from India in year five of a six-year programme. Under the old system her
status simply continued. Under the new rule she would have needed an approved extension, filed on time, with
a reason a USCIS officer accepted.

Who the duration of status injunction reaches

The order is nationwide. It is not limited to the plaintiffs or to Massachusetts. Every F, J and I visa
holder in the United States sits under the old framework while it stands.

Harvard’s International Office had spent weeks urging students to be physically inside the country on 15
September. On 14 September it said the rule now has no immediate impact on visas, or on starting an autumn
programme. Other universities issued similar notices. Read institutional guidance rather
than social media summaries, because each school phrases the practical advice differently.

One caution is worth repeating. An injunction is provisional. Travel plans built on the assumption that
the old rules will last all year carry real risk. The advice many advisers gave before the ruling — avoid
non-essential international travel while the litigation runs — has not stopped being sensible.

Where the case goes from here

Three things decide what students face next. The first is whether the government appeals to the First
Circuit and asks for a stay. The second is how the district court rules on the merits, which can take
months. The third is whether DHS withdraws the rule and issues a revised version with a fuller
justification.

Meanwhile the paperwork built for the rule is still arriving. USCIS moved to new editions of Form I-539
and Form I-765 dated 09/15/26, drafted partly around the fixed-term framework. Our companion piece on the
new USCIS form editions taking
effect today sets out what to file and when. We also covered
the rule itself when
its effective date was still standing, and the separate
public charge test arriving
on 18 September, which is not affected by this order.

Common questions about the ruling

Is the duration of status rule dead?

No. A court has postponed its effective date while litigation continues. The rule still exists and the government can defend it.

Do I still get an open-ended admission?

While the injunction stands, yes. F and J admissions continue under duration of status rather than a date-certain I-94.

Does this change my 60-day grace period?

The cut from 60 days to 30 for F visa holders was part of the blocked rule. It is not in force while the order stands.

Should I travel internationally now?

Speak to your designated school official first. An injunction can be stayed on appeal, and the rules at the moment of re-entry are what count.

Which court issued the order?

The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, in a case brought by NAFSA, the Presidents’ Alliance, AICUM and several unions.

Sources

13 Sep 2026
University graduation ceremony, illustrating the UK Erasmus+ return and new student visa provisions

The UK Erasmus+ Return Gets Its Immigration Rules

Categories Study Abroad, Uk

Buried in the UK’s latest statement of changes to the Immigration Rules is the legal machinery for something the country walked away from six years ago. The UK Erasmus+ return now has its immigration groundwork in place, with a dedicated set of visitor provisions taking effect on 8 October 2026 ahead of the UK’s association to the programme from 2027.

The changes appear in HC 584, laid before Parliament on 3 September 2026.

A new category of permitted activity

The rules gain an “Erasmus+ Activities” section in Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, covering four things a visitor may now do under the programme:

  • Provide or receive training at a UK organisation or educational institution, provided the role is not a permanent one, where the visitor is employed by or works with an overseas Erasmus+ participating body, or qualifies as a Youth Worker.
  • Undertake a traineeship — for visitors aged 18 or under, for up to 30 days, subject to UK Working Time Regulations.
  • Job shadowing, confined to what the rules call participative observation and not amounting to filling a permanent role.
  • Sports coaching and training assignments at UK sports organisations, on the same non-permanent basis.

The rules define each term. Job shadowing means following practitioners in their daily work to exchange practice and build partnerships. A traineeship means time in a UK enterprise to gain work experience and specific competencies. A Youth Worker is a professional or volunteer providing social or professional development learning to young people.

Under-18s undertaking a traineeship or job shadowing must provide written permission from a parent or guardian and from their home institution.

The student route changes matter more than they look

Several amendments to Appendix Student carve Erasmus+ participants out of restrictions that apply to everyone else:

  • Work placement duration limits are disapplied. A work placement on a course taken by an Erasmus+ participant at a participating sponsor is exempt from the normal duration restrictions — a substantial concession, given how tightly placement time is otherwise capped.
  • State school study becomes possible. Students are normally barred from studying at a state school or academy. Erasmus+ participants at a participating sponsor are now an exception.
  • Lower qualification levels qualify. Erasmus+ courses at Regulated Qualifications Framework level 2 or above in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 5 or above in Scotland, are permitted — below the usual degree-level threshold.

Taken together these are not tidying amendments. They rebuild the flexibility that made short-cycle European mobility work.

The exchange scheme route

Erasmus+ has also been added to the list of Government Authorised Exchange schemes, for participants undertaking eligible traineeships, teaching placements and training assignments. The listed overarching sponsor is IRARA Services Ltd, and the maximum stay is 12 months as a work experience programme.

Participants on placements outside those categories are directed to alternative immigration routes.

The Government Authorised Exchange framework is the Home Office’s standard mechanism for short-term structured placements, and routing Erasmus+ through it rather than inventing a bespoke route is a deliberately low-friction choice. It also means the arrangement can be adjusted without a fresh statement of changes, since scheme entries sit in a list. Previous statements are collected on the Home Office’s statement of changes page.

What this does not do

It does not make the UK a member of Erasmus+. Association is stated to run from 2027; HC 584 builds the immigration plumbing in advance so the rules are ready when the programme is.

It also does not restore what UK students lost. These provisions govern people coming to the UK. Outbound mobility for UK students depends on the association agreement itself and on the funding attached to it, neither of which is an immigration matter.

One number worth diarising

Separately in the same statement, student maintenance requirements rise on 30 November 2026: from £1,529 to £1,570 per month for study in London, and from £1,171 to £1,203 outside it.

Applications made before that date are decided under the current figures. For a nine-month course in London the increase adds roughly £369 to the funds an applicant must evidence — small in isolation, less so stacked on rising fees.

The broader October package, which touches ten routes, is covered in our earlier analysis of HC 584.

Timing, in order

  • 8 October 2026 — Erasmus+ visitor and student provisions take effect. Applications made before this date are decided under the rules in force on 7 October.
  • 30 November 2026 — maintenance funds increase.
  • 2027 — UK association to Erasmus+ takes effect.

Questions about the Erasmus+ provisions

Is the UK rejoining Erasmus+?

Association to the programme has been agreed from 2027. HC 584 puts the supporting immigration rules in place from 8 October 2026, ahead of that.

What can an Erasmus+ visitor do in the UK?

Provide or receive training, undertake a traineeship if aged 18 or under for up to 30 days, do job shadowing limited to participative observation, and carry out sports coaching or training assignments — none amounting to a permanent role.

Do Erasmus+ students get different treatment on work placements?

Yes. Work placements on Erasmus+ courses at participating sponsors are exempt from the usual placement duration restrictions.

Can Erasmus+ participants study at UK state schools?

Yes. They are an explicit exception to the general prohibition on students studying at a state school or academy.

When do the new maintenance amounts apply?

From 30 November 2026: £1,570 per month in London and £1,203 outside London. Applications made before that date use the current figures.

Does this help UK students study in Europe?

Not directly. These rules govern inbound mobility to the UK. Outbound opportunities depend on the association agreement and its funding, which are separate from the Immigration Rules.

For European study funding that is open to applicants now, see our guides to Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters and Commonwealth Scholarships.

13 Sep 2026
University lecture hall with students, illustrating the duration of status rule change for F and J visas

The Duration of Status Rule Ends Tuesday. Here’s What Changes

Categories Immigration, Study Abroad

On 15 September the United States replaces “duration of status” with a fixed admission period for international students and exchange visitors. The duration of status rule has governed F and J visas for decades, and its removal is the largest structural change to the American student visa system in roughly fifty years.

The change comes from a Department of Homeland Security final rule published in the Federal Register on 17 July 2026.

What duration of status meant, and what replaces it

Under the old system, F and J holders were admitted for “D/S” — no fixed end date. As long as you were making normal progress in your programme or on authorised training, you remained in status. A PhD that ran seven years raised no immigration question.

From 15 September, new applicants are admitted for the length of their programme or four years, whichever is shorter, plus a 30-day departure grace period — reduced from 60 days for F visas.

Anyone needing longer must file an Extension of Stay with USCIS and demonstrate a compelling reason. A pending application carries an automatic 240-day extension.

The rules that will catch people out

Three provisions in the rule have less to do with time limits and more to do with academic freedom of movement:

  • Upward moves only. A student finishing at one level may go on to a higher degree — not a lateral move, not a lower one.
  • Graduate students cannot change educational objective at all. The rule defines that as educational level or major. Not in year one, not later.
  • Undergraduates cannot change in their first year, absent specific extenuating circumstances.

Dependents fall under the same fixed-term structure and extension requirements as the primary visa holder.

If you are already in the US, read this part twice

Students and scholars physically present in the United States in F or J status on 15 September get transitional protection. They may remain without filing an Extension of Stay until the later of the programme end date on their I-20 or DS-2019, or the expiry of post-completion work authorisation — up to a maximum of four years from 15 September. The 60-day F grace period and 30-day J grace period are preserved for this group.

That protection has one condition, and it is the single most consequential sentence in the entire rule: if you leave the United States and re-enter after 15 September, the new rule applies on re-entry.

Harvard’s International Office, whose guidance page is among the most detailed published by any institution, recommends that F-1 and J-1 students and J-1 scholars registered in on-campus programmes for the autumn term try to be physically in the United States on the effective date.

The travel trap

Travel after 15 September will result in a date-certain admission on your Form I-94, matched to the programme end date on your I-20 or DS-2019, rather than the open-ended D/S notation.

That reshapes ordinary decisions. A winter break trip home, a conference abroad, a family emergency — each converts an open-ended admission into a fixed one, which then governs how future extensions and post-completion work authorisation are handled.

Universities are still working through the implications for dual and joint degree programmes, where the “no change of educational objective” language interacts awkwardly with programmes designed around movement between schools.

The litigation, and why it does not change your planning

On 18 August, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, and NAFSA filed suit in the US District Court in Boston seeking to invalidate the rule. They also sought an interim stay that would suspend it during proceedings. We covered the filing in our earlier report.

The filings have no immediate effect. The rule takes effect on 15 September unless a court orders otherwise, and no such order has issued. Plan for the rule as written.

Practical steps before Tuesday

  • If you can be in the US on 15 September, be there.
  • Check the programme end date on your I-20 or DS-2019 now — after the change it becomes the date that governs your stay.
  • Postpone non-essential international travel until you have advice specific to your programme.
  • If you are considering a change of major or degree level, speak to your international office before the rule takes effect, not after.
  • Read the DHS FAQ for the government’s own reading of edge cases.

Answers for students and scholars

When does the duration of status rule end?

15 September 2026, per the DHS final rule published 17 July 2026.

How long will new students be admitted for?

The length of the programme or four years, whichever is shorter, plus a 30-day grace period for departure.

Does the rule affect students already in the US?

Those in F or J status and physically present on 15 September are covered by transitional provisions and can remain without filing an extension until their programme end date or the expiry of post-completion work authorisation, up to four years from that date.

What happens if I travel abroad after 15 September?

The new rule applies when you re-enter, and you will receive a date-certain I-94 matched to your programme end date rather than a duration-of-status admission.

Can I change my major under the new rule?

Graduate students cannot change educational level or major at any point. Undergraduates cannot in their first year, absent specific extenuating circumstances.

Will the lawsuit stop the rule?

It has not so far. The August filing sought an interim stay, but the filings have no immediate effect and the outcome is uncertain. The rule takes effect as scheduled.

Compare with the direction of travel elsewhere: Canada’s raised proof-of-funds threshold and the UK’s October rule changes.

01 Sep 2026
German university campus, a destination for DAAD EPOS scholarship holders

The German Scholarship That Rewards Work Experience

Categories Germany, Scholarships, Study Abroad

Most fully funded master’s programmes screen on grades first. The DAAD EPOS scholarship screens on grades and on work. Germany’s Development-Related Postgraduate Courses programme will not consider you without at least two years of professional experience after your first degree, which changes who realistically competes for it.

The scheme funds graduates from developing and newly industrialised countries to take a postgraduate or master’s degree at a state or state-recognised German university. In exceptional cases it funds a doctorate. It is administered by the DAAD, Germany’s academic exchange service.

Postgraduate students in a lecture hall on a DAAD EPOS scholarship course
EPOS funds postgraduate study across a wide range of disciplines.

Who the DAAD EPOS scholarship is built for

The DAAD describes a typical holder plainly. That person works for a public authority, or for a state or private company in a developing country. They plan or execute projects with a development-policy bearing, whether technological, economic or social.

Think of a Vietnamese public-health officer who has spent three years running district immunisation logistics. That profile fits the programme far better than a stronger academic record with no working history behind it. The scheme is explicitly training specialists to return home, not recruiting talent to stay.

Eligibility rests on four things. You hold a bachelor’s degree, normally from a four-year course, in a relevant subject. Your results sit in the upper third. You have at least two years of relevant professional experience after that degree, counted at the time of application. Your degrees are normally no more than six years old.

What the EPOS scholarship actually pays

Funding runs for 12 to 42 months, depending on the study programme. The monthly payment is 934 euros for graduates and 1,300 euros for doctoral candidates.

The stipend is not the whole package. The award also covers payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance, a travel allowance unless your home country or another funder already covers it, a monthly rent subsidy, and a monthly allowance for accompanying family members. That last item matters for mid-career applicants, who are more likely to move with a partner or children.

The EPOS eligibility bar that trips most applicants

Language requirements catch people out more often than grades. For courses taught in German, you must pass DSH 2 or TestDaF 4 before the course begins. The scholarship includes a six-month preparatory German course in Germany, but you still need a current certificate showing at least B1 German at the time of application.

The DAAD is direct about why. You cannot reach DSH or TestDaF level from nothing, even with the six-month intensive course, and passing the test is a formal condition of enrolling at the university. For English-taught courses you supply IELTS or TOEFL results. The institutional TOEFL is not accepted.

Applicants from the People’s Republic of China must also submit an APS certificate. Applications must be complete and written in English or German. Incomplete files are not considered, and there is no correction round.

How the EPOS application route works, and why deadlines differ

This is the part most guides get wrong. You do not apply to the DAAD. You apply directly to the postgraduate course you want, using that course’s own procedure and its own deadline. Applications sent to the DAAD are not forwarded.

Each course sets its own application deadline. There is no single closing date for the programme, which means two courses in the same intake year can close months apart. Check the deadline on the page of every course you are targeting, and check it again close to submission.

You may apply for up to three courses. If you do, list them in priority order in the DAAD application forms and keep that order consistent across every form. Submit one motivation letter that explains why you chose those specific courses and that ranking. The DAAD warns that ignoring this can void an application, or even an award already made.

The selection sequence runs in four steps. You send complete applications to the courses. A selection committee proposes candidates for a scholarship. Proposed candidates are contacted by the DAAD and upload their full file to the DAAD Portal. The process is then finalised and candidates are informed. Keep a PDF copy of every document, because you will need to upload them again at step three.

Getting your file ready before your course closes

Work backwards from the course deadline rather than forward from today. Employment certificates and certified translations are the slowest items, and neither is under your control.

The required documents run in a set order: the signed checklist, the DAAD application for a research or study scholarship, a Europass CV in reverse chronological order with no unexplained gaps, one letter of motivation, employment certificates proving two years of relevant post-degree experience, recent language certificates, copies of higher education certificates with certified translations where needed, and a full transcript with an explanation of the grading system.

If EPOS does not fit your profile, the DAAD runs a separate general route for master’s applicants without the professional-experience requirement, which we covered in our guide to the DAAD Study Scholarship for master’s students. Applicants comparing European options should also look at Erasmus Mundus deadlines. And if you are not sure which study or work route fits your profile, our visa eligibility checker is a sensible first stop.

Questions EPOS applicants ask most

Is there one deadline for the whole programme?

No. Each postgraduate course sets its own application deadline. Check the deadline published by the specific course you are applying to.

How much professional experience do I need?

At least two years of relevant experience gained after your first degree, counted at the time of application.

Can I apply for more than one course?

Yes, up to three. List them in priority order in the DAAD forms and submit one motivation letter explaining the ranking.

Do I need German to apply?

Only for German-taught courses, which require at least B1 at application and DSH 2 or TestDaF 4 before the course starts. English-taught courses require IELTS or TOEFL instead.

Does the scholarship cover family members?

There is a monthly allowance for accompanying members of family, alongside a rent subsidy and insurance contributions.

Where do I send my application?

Directly to the postgraduate course. Applications sent to the DAAD are not forwarded to the university.

Sources

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