Colleges across the United States are warning international students currently abroad to consider returning before September 15, 2026. A major new Department of Homeland Security rule takes effect that day. It ends the long-standing duration of status system for F-1 students and replaces 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. This F-1 student return September 15 deadline is one of the most urgent immigration developments affecting international students in decades.
What Is Duration of Status and Why Does It Matter?
For decades, most F-1 international students entered the United States for duration of status, shown as D/S on Form I-94. Duration of status did not provide an unlimited right to remain. 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 tied to continued compliance rather than a specific calendar date. Beginning September 15, 2026, this system ends for F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and their qualifying dependents. Learn more about how the new student visa rule works.
What Changes on September 15, 2026 for F-1 Students?
International students who enter or reenter the United States on or after September 15 will generally receive admission until the end date of the academic program 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.
For example, a student in a two-year program may receive admission through the program end date. A student in a six-year doctoral program will generally receive only four years initially. Students who need additional time must take formal action to obtain a new period of authorized stay. This is a major shift from the previous student visa rules that allowed students to stay as long as they maintained status.
Why Are Universities Telling F-1 Students to Return Before September 15?
Students already in the United States in valid F-1 status before September 15 may qualify for transition rules more favorable than the new system. Universities are advising students abroad for summer vacation, internships, research, family visits, or personal travel to consider returning before that date.
A student who reenters before the effective date may still receive D/S on the Form I-94 and may benefit from transition provisions. A student entering on or after September 15 will generally receive a fixed expiration date instead.
Columbia University, Purdue University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin, and other institutions have issued guidance encouraging students to review their travel plans carefully. Some schools recommend returning before classes begin rather than waiting until immediately before September 15.
Returning before September 15 is not a guarantee of admission. Customs and Border Protection makes all admission decisions at the port of entry.
What Happens to F-1 Students Already in the United States?
Students admitted for D/S and physically present in the United States before September 15 fall under transition provisions. They may generally continue studies through the program end date on their current Form I-20, the end of authorized OPT or STEM OPT, or the maximum transition date the rule establishes.
For many current F-1 students, the transition period cannot extend beyond November 14, 2030. Students who need to remain beyond that deadline must obtain an extension of stay or another lawful immigration status. If you have a pending USCIS application or immigration issue, speak with an attorney before traveling internationally.
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 instead.
Will F-1 Students Need to File Form I-539 With USCIS?
Under the new system, receiving an extended Form I-20 from a university may no longer extend a student’s authorized stay by itself. 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 with USCIS before the I-94 expires.
The student may also need 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 and continue pursuing the authorized educational objective while the application is pending.
The new system creates significant additional costs. According to the American Immigration Council, each extension request will cost at least $420. Students in longer programs may need to file multiple times. This is why USCIS work permit and extension timing matters so much under the new rule.
Which F-1 Students Face the Greatest Risk?
The four-year admission limit creates particular problems for Ph.D. candidates, medical students, researchers, and students in programs that 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 become unavailable.
Under the previous system, a school could often update the student’s program end date through SEVIS when academic justification existed. Under the new system, USCIS must approve the student’s continued stay. This places an additional immigration decision between the student and completion of the degree.
Does the New Rule Restrict Changing Majors and Transferring Schools?
Yes. Students below the graduate level will generally face restrictions on transferring schools or changing their educational objective during the first academic year. Exceptions exist only in limited circumstances.
Graduate and professional students face even stricter limitations. They may not change 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 beginning another program at the same or a lower educational level. Students considering switching from F-1 status to a work visa should also review how to change from F-1 to immigrant status before making any decisions.
What Happens to the F-1 Departure Period?
The rule reduces the standard F-1 post-completion departure period from 60 days to 30 days for students admitted under the new fixed-period system. 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.
Students approaching the end of their program should understand their immigration status options well before the departure clock starts running.
How Does the New Rule Affect OPT and STEM OPT Students?
The rule applies not only to students 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 connect to the expiration date on the Employment Authorization Document, followed by the applicable departure period.
Students applying for OPT must file Form I-765 with USCIS. Students applying for the 24-month STEM OPT extension must also file Form I-983 with their employer and obtain a new I-20 from their school before filing with USCIS.
Do not assume that a pending or approved employment authorization application automatically extends every aspect of their immigration status. Review how automatic work permit extensions have changed to understand how this may affect your timeline.
What Is the Difference Between a Visa Expiration Date and an I-94 Date?
International students must understand this distinction. The F-1 visa in a student’s passport generally allows the student to request admission to the United States. The visa may expire while the student is inside the country without automatically ending lawful status.
The Form I-94 controls how long the person may remain in the United States after admission. Under the new system, the specific I-94 Admit Until Date becomes especially important. Students should download and review their electronic Form I-94 after every entry. 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.
Should Every F-1 Student Abroad Return Before September 15?
Not necessarily. Returning before September 15 may help some students, particularly those already enrolled and currently outside the United States. However, international travel always involves individual risks.
Before traveling, a student should review the following important points:
1. Ensure that the F-1 visa is still valid.
2. Check that the passport is valid for the required duration.
3. Confirm that the Form I-20 has a valid travel signature.
4. Verify that the student has maintained valid immigration status.
5. Determine if there are any entry restrictions or travel bans that may apply.
6. Check for any prior immigration violations.
7. Assess whether the student has any criminal history.
8. Confirm whether the student is on Optional Practical Training (OPT) or STEM OPT.
9. Investigate if there are any pending change-of-status or other immigration applications.
10. Gather evidence of continuing enrollment, financial support, and a U.S. residence.
By ensuring all these criteria are met, students can help facilitate a smoother travel experience.
A student should not purchase a last-minute ticket solely because of a general university announcement without considering individual immigration history.
What Should F-1 Students Do Right 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.
Students whose academic programs may continue beyond four years should begin planning well before their authorized stay expires. Waiting until the final weeks before an I-94 expires can create serious problems. The school may need time to prepare a new Form I-20 or USCIS could reject a filing for an administrative reason. In these cases, the student may fall out of status.
Students should 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 provides essential school-related guidance. However, 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 ShepelskyLaw.com.
This article provides general information and does not create an attorney-client relationship or replace individualized legal advice.