Colleges across the United States are warning international students who are currently abroad to consider returning before September 15, 2026, when a major new Department of Homeland Security rule is scheduled to take effect.

The rule will end the long-standing duration of status system for F-1 students and replace it with fixed periods of admission. Students entering or reentering the United States on or after September 15 will generally receive a specific expiration date on their Form I-94 instead of being admitted for as long as they continue maintaining valid student status.

For many international students, particularly those pursuing doctoral degrees, medical programs, research programs, or other courses of study lasting longer than four years, this could create new deadlines, filing requirements, expenses, and immigration risks.

What Is Duration of Status?

For decades, most F-1 international students were admitted to the United States for duration of status, commonly shown as D/S on the student’s Form I-94 arrival record.

Duration of status did not provide an unlimited right to remain in the United States. It allowed a student to stay while properly maintaining F-1 status, pursuing the educational program listed in SEVIS, participating in authorized practical training, and complying with immigration requirements.

A student’s authorized stay was generally tied to the student’s continued compliance rather than to a specific calendar date printed on the I-94.

Beginning September 15, 2026, this system will be replaced by a fixed admission period for F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and their qualifying dependents.

What Changes on September 15, 2026?

International students who enter or reenter the United States on or after September 15 will generally be admitted until the end date of the academic program listed on their Form I-20, but for no more than four years at one time.

The student’s Form I-94 will contain a specific Admit Until Date. This date will become one of the most important documents governing the student’s lawful stay in the United States.

For example, if an F-1 student’s program is expected to last two years, the student may be admitted through the program end date, followed by the applicable departure period. If the program is expected to last six years, the initial period of admission will generally be limited to four years.

The rule does not necessarily prohibit a student from remaining in F-1 status for more than four years in total. Instead, students who need additional time must take formal action to obtain a new period of authorized stay.

Why Are Universities Advising Students to Return Early?

Students who are already in the United States in valid F-1 status before September 15 may qualify for transition rules that are more favorable than the new system applied to students entering after that date.

Universities are therefore advising students who are abroad for summer vacation, internships, research, family visits, or personal travel to consider returning before September 15.

A student who reenters before the effective date may still receive D/S on the Form I-94 and may be covered by the transition provisions. A student entering on or after September 15 will generally receive a fixed expiration date.

Columbia University, Purdue University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin, and other institutions have issued guidance explaining the new rule and encouraging students to review their travel plans carefully. Some schools are recommending that students return before classes begin rather than waiting until immediately before September 15.

Returning before September 15, however, is not a guarantee of admission or a guarantee that every student will receive D/S. Customs and Border Protection makes admission decisions at the airport or other port of entry.

What Happens to Students Already in the United States?

Students who were admitted for D/S and are physically present in the United States before September 15 will be subject to transition provisions.

Generally, these students may continue their studies through the program end date shown on their current Form I-20, the end of authorized OPT or STEM OPT, or the maximum transition date established by the rule.

For many current F-1 students, the transition period cannot extend beyond November 14, 2030. A student who needs to remain beyond the applicable transition deadline will have to obtain an extension of stay or another lawful immigration status.

Students who travel internationally and reenter the United States on or after September 15 may lose the benefit of their prior D/S admission and receive a new fixed Admit Until Date.

Students May Need to File Form I-539 With USCIS

Under the new system, receiving an extended Form I-20 from a university may no longer be enough by itself to extend a student’s authorized stay.

A student who needs additional time will generally first request an extension recommendation from the school’s designated school official. The student may then need to file Form I-539, Application to Extend or Change Nonimmigrant Status, with USCIS before the I-94 expires.

The student may also have to:

Pay the applicable USCIS filing fee;
Submit evidence explaining why additional time is necessary;
Provide proof of continuing financial support;
Complete biometrics if required;
Attend an interview if requested; and
Wait for USCIS to decide the application.

A properly and timely filed extension application may allow a student to remain in the United States and continue pursuing the authorized educational objective while the application is pending. However, the student’s immigration position can become significantly more complicated if the application is filed late or denied.

Doctoral and Long-Term Students May Be Affected the Most

The four-year admission limit may create particular problems for Ph.D. candidates, medical students, researchers, and students whose programs commonly take longer than four years.

Academic delays are not always within a student’s control. Research projects can take longer than expected. Dissertation approval may be delayed. Required courses may be unavailable. Students may experience documented medical problems, changes in funding, laboratory delays, or other legitimate academic complications.

Under the previous system, a school could often update the student’s program end date through the SEVIS process when additional time was academically justified.

Under the new system, USCIS may have to approve the student’s continued stay. This places an additional immigration decision between the student and completion of the degree. Education organizations have warned that the resulting uncertainty could discourage international students from selecting American universities, particularly for advanced research programs.

The Rule Also Restricts Changing Majors and Transferring Schools

The new rule does much more than establish a four-year admission period.

Students below the graduate level will generally be restricted from transferring schools or changing their educational objective during the first academic year. Exceptions may be available only in limited circumstances authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

Graduate and professional students face even stricter limitations. They may be prohibited from changing educational objectives during the program and may need advance government authorization before transferring to another institution.

The rule may also restrict students from completing one degree and then beginning another program at the same or a lower educational level. For example, a person who completes one master’s degree may face restrictions on beginning a second master’s program in the United States.

Progression to a higher academic level, such as moving from a bachelor’s program to a master’s program or from a master’s program to a Ph.D. program, may remain possible, but the student may need a new Form I-20 and an approved extension of stay or a new admission following international travel.

The F-1 Departure Period Will Be Shortened

The rule also reduces the standard F-1 post-completion departure period from 60 days to 30 days for students admitted under the new fixed-period system.

This means students will have less time after completing their studies or authorized practical training to prepare to leave the country, transfer to a qualifying program, apply for a change of status, or take another legally available immigration step.

Certain students covered by the transition provisions may retain the existing 60-day period until they travel and reenter or obtain a new extension of stay. After receiving a date-specific admission under the new rule, the 30-day period will generally apply.

OPT and STEM OPT Students Are Also Affected

The rule applies not only to students who are actively attending classes but also to many F-1 graduates participating in Optional Practical Training or STEM OPT.

A student’s fixed period of admission may be connected to the expiration date on the Employment Authorization Document, followed by the applicable departure period.

Students applying for OPT or STEM OPT must carefully review whether they also need to request an extension of stay. Temporary transition provisions may protect certain students who file OPT-related applications within the initial implementation period, but the requirements depend on the person’s admission record, travel history, filing date, and current I-94.

Students should not assume that a pending or approved employment authorization application automatically extends every aspect of their immigration status.

A Visa Expiration Date and an I-94 Expiration Date Are Different

International students must understand the difference between a visa and an authorized period of stay.

The F-1 visa in a student’s passport is generally used to request admission to the United States. The visa may expire while the student is inside the country without automatically ending the student’s lawful status.

The Form I-94 controls how long the person is authorized to remain in the United States after admission. Under the new system, the specific I-94 Admit Until Date will become especially important.

Students should download and review their electronic Form I-94 after every entry into the United States. An incorrect date should be addressed immediately through the school’s international student office and, when appropriate, a Customs and Border Protection deferred inspection location.

Failing to notice an incorrect I-94 date can create serious consequences, including loss of status and possible unlawful presence.

Should Every International Student Return Before September 15?

Not necessarily.

Returning before September 15 may be helpful for some students, particularly those who are already enrolled and currently outside the United States. However, international travel always involves individual risks.

Before traveling, a student should review:

Whether the F-1 visa is still valid;
Whether the passport is valid for the required period;
Whether the Form I-20 has a valid travel signature;
Whether the student has maintained valid status;
Whether the student is subject to an entry restriction or travel ban;
Whether there are prior immigration violations;
Whether the student has an arrest or criminal history;
Whether the student is on OPT or STEM OPT;
Whether a change-of-status or other immigration application is pending; and
Whether the student has evidence of continuing enrollment, financial support, and a U.S. residence.

A student should not purchase a last-minute ticket or attempt to enter the United States solely because of a general university announcement without considering the student’s individual immigration history.

What International Students Should Do Now

International students should immediately review their passport, visa, Form I-20, SEVIS record, Form I-94, program end date, travel signature, and any pending USCIS applications.

Students currently abroad should communicate with their university’s international student office before finalizing return travel. Students inside the United States should determine whether upcoming travel could cause them to receive a new fixed admission period.

Those whose academic programs may continue beyond four years should begin planning well before the expiration of their authorized stay. Waiting until the final weeks before an I-94 expires can create serious problems if the school needs time to prepare a new Form I-20 or if USCIS rejects the filing for an administrative reason.

Students should also preserve copies of all immigration documents, including every Form I-20, visa, passport page, I-94 record, employment authorization card, USCIS receipt notice, approval notice, and communication from the school’s international student office.

Speak With an Immigration Attorney Before Traveling

The September 15 rule represents one of the most significant changes to international student status in decades. It affects admission periods, extensions, transfers, changes in academic programs, OPT, STEM OPT, dependents, departure periods, and international travel.

A university’s international student office can provide essential school-related guidance, but it does not replace individualized legal advice when a student has prior immigration issues, a pending USCIS case, an expired visa, criminal history, travel-ban concerns, or plans to change immigration status.

The immigration attorneys at Shepelsky Law Group assist international students, graduates, researchers, professionals, and their families with F-1 status, reinstatement, extensions, changes of status, OPT and STEM OPT issues, employment visas, and permanent immigration options.

Call Shepelsky Law Group at 718-769-6352 or schedule a consultation at www.shepelskylaw.com.

This article provides general information and does not create an attorney-client relationship or replace individualized legal advice.