The content on this website is developed based on the final rule, “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media,” published in the Federal Register. Content on this website will continue to be updated on and after September 15, 2026, as the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issue further operational clarifications. You can access the official Study in the States regulatory updates directly via the DHS Quick Facts Page and the DHS Frequently Asked Questions Page.
Overview
DHS has published a final rule that changes how individuals in F and J nonimmigrant classifications are admitted to the United States. The complete text of the final rule is available on the DHS website. Historically, most F and J nonimmigrants were admitted for Duration of Status (D/S), which allowed them to remain in the United States as long as they maintained their immigration status (i.e., completing a program of study). Under the new rule, D/S is replaced with a fixed period of admission.
Important Definitions
Admit Until Date (AUD)
A nonimmigrant’s maximum period of admission to the United States; also the last day a nonimmigrant is authorized to stay in the United States. F and J students cannot remain lawfully present in the United States beyond their AUD and must depart the United States or take action to maintain status before their AUD expires.
Duration of Status (D/S)
The current admission system under which most F and J students and scholars may remain in the United States as long as they maintain their immigration status. For individuals admitted on or after September 15, 2026, D/S will be replaced with a fixed period of admission.
Extension of Stay (EOS)
An application submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to request additional time in the United States before the student’s current period of admission expires.
F Nonimmigrant Classification
The nonimmigrant visa category that permits admittance to the United States solely for the purpose for pursuing a full course of study at an established college, university, or other educational institution.
Form I-94
The official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrival and departure record that documents the student’s immigration classification and the expiration date of the student’s authorized period of admission.
J Nonimmigrant Classification
The nonimmigrant visa category for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programs in the United States.
Program Start Date
The date on which a student is expected to begin their academic program. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Program Start Date may include the date of any required orientation sessions or other mandatory activities scheduled before the first day of classes.
Program End Date
The date on which a student is expected to complete their academic program. The Program End Date does not include any applicable grace periods or future employment authorization periods, such as Optional Practical Training (OPT).
How This Affects International Students
Under the final rule, F-1 students will be admitted for a fixed period of admission rather than for D/S. The admission period is based on the Program End Date listed on the student’s Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, subject to a maximum admission period of 4 years, plus:
- Up to 30 days before the Program Start Date to enter the United States, and
- A 30-day departure period following the completion of the authorized stay.
Students who require additional time beyond their original authorized stay must apply for an Extension of Stay (EOS) with USCIS. An EOS application may be necessary if a student needs additional time to:
- Complete their Program of Study
- Change Educational Level
- Transfer to a New School
- Participate in Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) or the STEM OPT extension
- Apply for Reinstatement of F or J Status
Summary of Key Changes
1. Fixed Time Periods of Admission
- Maximum 4-Year Cap: F and J nonimmigrants will be admitted for the length of their specific academic or exchange program, up to a maximum initial admission period of 4 years. At UA Little Rock, Bachelor’s and Doctorate Form I-20s are issued based on the expected length of the program, while Master’s Form I-20s are issued for a 2-year program period. Students will be admitted to the United States by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the period listed on their Form I-20, subject to the maximum admission period allowed under the rule. The admission period does not include any post-completion employment authorization periods, such as OPT or the STEM OPT extension.
- Extensions Required: If your program of study requires more than 4 years to complete (for example, certain Doctorate or Undergraduate programs), you must file an EOS application directly with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to request additional time.
- Language Training Limitations: Students enrolled in English language training programs are limited to a strict aggregate maximum of 24 months of stay, including institutional breaks and annual vacations.
2. Reduced Grace Period for Departure
- 30-Day Departure Window: The time allowed for F and J nonimmigrants to prepare for departure from the United States following the completion of their course of study or authorized post-completion practical training (OPT or STEM OPT) has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
- Early Program Termination: If the student ends their study or training program early, they and their eligible dependents will receive an updated I-20 displaying a new Program End Date, and they must depart the U.S. or take formal action to maintain status within 30 days of that date.
3. Stricter Rules for School Transfers and Changing Educational Objectives
- Undergraduate Students: Under the new rule, undergraduate F-1 students must complete their first academic year at the institution that issued their initial Form I-20, and with which I-20 they originally entered the United States, before they are eligible to transfer to another school or change their educational objective, unless an exception is authorized by SEVP.
- Graduate Students: F-1 students at the graduate level are prohibited from transferring schools at any point during their program, unless an exception is granted by SEVP for documented extenuating circumstances. The prohibition on initial transfers also applies for Graduate students.
- Educational Level Progress: Students who complete a program at one level may only begin another program if it is at a higher educational level; changing to the same or a lower educational level while remaining an F-1 student is now prohibited. For example, a student may begin a Doctorate program after completion of a Master’s program, but they may not enroll in a second Master’s program, Master’s level Graduate Certificate, Bachelor’s program or the Intensive English Language Program (IELP).
4. New Extension of Stay (EOS) Procedures
- Direct USCIS Adjudication: To remain in the United States beyond the fixed period of admission, a student must file an EOS application directly with USCIS. Program extensions will no longer be processed solely through the school or exchange program sponsor.
- Continued Study While the EOS Application Is Pending: Students who file a timely EOS application with USCIS before their Program End Date may continue pursuing a full course of study while the application is pending.
- Timely Filing and Employment Authorization: Filing an EOS application during the grace period may help preserve a student’s F-1 or J-1 immigration status; however, it does not necessarily preserve employment authorization. To qualify for continued employment authorization benefits, USCIS must receive the student’s EOS application before their current Program End Date.
- Biometrics Requirement: Applicants filing for an EOS will be required to submit biometric information (fingerprints and photographs) as part of the USCIS processing procedure.
- Stricter Standards: Delays in completing the student’s program due to academic probation, academic suspension, or a repeated inability/unwillingness to finish courses are generally unacceptable reasons for an extension.
Extension of Dependents
Under the new rule, F-2 and J-2 dependents may either be included in the principal F-1 or J-1 applicant’s EOS application or submit a separate EOS application. Because dependents generally receive the same admission period as the principal applicant, they must also obtain an EOS to remain in the United States beyond their AUD. Eligible dependents may be included in the principal applicant’s Form I-539 application, and separate filing fees are generally not required when they are included in the same filing. However, if the principal applicant’s EOS request is denied, the extension requests for any included dependents will also be denied.
Extending Status by Travel and Reentry
According to the final rule, students who maintain continued academic progress and meet all F-1 or J-1 eligibility requirements may either apply for an EOS to complete their program while remaining in the United States or by travel outside the United States to seek reentry to continue their remaining program of study.
F-1 and J-1 students with a valid, unexpired visa who choose to travel may apply for re-admission at a U.S. port of entry. If admitted, CBP may issue a new Form I-94 with a new period of admission based on the student’s updated SEVIS record and supporting documentation. This is subject to applicable eligibility and admissibility requirements. Students with an expired F-1 visa must obtain a new visa before seeking admission to the United States at a port of entry.
General Questions
The final rule is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026.
No. The final rule includes specific transition provisions for students who are in the United States in valid D/S on the rule’s effective date. According to the final rule, F-1 students who were admitted under D/S may remain in the United States without applying for an EOS until the Program End Date listed on their Form I-20, or until the end of their valid post-completion OPT or STEM OPT extension that is in effect on the final rule’s effective date, not to exceed November 14, 2030 (4 years, plus a 60-day departure period).
Yes. Current F-1 students may continue to travel internationally. However, beginning September 15, 2026, upon reentering the United States, they may be admitted for a fixed period of admission based on the Program End Date listed on their Form I-20, up to a maximum of 4 years, plus a 30-day departure period.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for adjudicating EOS applications.
Yes. Students and exchange visitors who need an EOS to obtain additional time to complete their current program of study, begin a new program of study, or participate in post-completion OPT or a STEM OPT extension must work with their Designated School Official (PDSO/DSO) or Responsible Officer (RO/ARO) before submitting an EOS application.
The PDSO/DSO or RO/ARO will:
- Recommend the EOS in SEVIS, as applicable
- Update the student’s or exchange visitor’s Program End Date in SEVIS
- Provide an updated Form I-20 or DS-2019 reflecting the EOS recommendation
Students may apply for an EOS with USCIS by completing the following steps:
- Timely complete and submit Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, along with all required supporting documentation
- Pay the required application fee
- Provide biometric information, if required by USCIS
Students must ensure that USCIS receives their Form I-539 before the expiration of their current authorized period of admission. For additional information and specific instructions regarding the EOS application process, please refer to the USCIS website.
Yes, but if a student leaves the US while their EOS application is pending, USCIS may consider the EOS application abandoned based on the student’s departure and subsequent reentry records. In such circumstances, the AUD issued by CBP and reflected on the student’s Form I-94 would govern. Students are therefore advised to carry a copy of their EOS receipt notice (Form I-797C) with them when seeking reentry into the US.
Students who timely file an EOS application before their AUD arrives, including before the start of the 30-day departure period, may continue on-campus employment, off-campus employment due to severe economic hardship, and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for up to 240 days while the application is pending.
However, students who file an EOS during the 30-day departure period must stop all employment while the EOS is pending and may only resume work if the extension is approved.
If USCIS denies the extension, students and any accompanying dependents must depart the United States according to their original AUD or immediately if that date has passed.
No. Under the new rule, after completing a program at a particular educational level, F-1 and J-1 students may only begin a new program at a higher educational level (for example, progressing from a Bachelor’s degree to a Master’s degree or from a Master’s degree to a Doctorate). Beginning a new program at the same or a lower educational level while maintaining F-1 or J-1 status is not permitted.
Yes, but there are restrictions on when and who may change their major. F-1 students enrolled in programs below the graduate level may not change their major during their first academic year unless SEVP authorizes an exception due to extenuating circumstances.
Students enrolled in graduate-level programs or higher are not permitted to change their educational objective at any point.
The final rule defines extenuating circumstances as follows: “rare, exceptional events beyond the control of the school and the affected students that prevent an SEVP-certified school from continuing to provide the student’s approved course of study, such as a permanent or extended school closure, a school merger that eliminates the student’s program, a loss of necessary authorization for the school to enroll F-1 students, or the school’s prolonged inability to deliver required instruction due to a natural disaster or comparable emergency. In such circumstances, SEVP may, in its discretion and in coordination with the impacted SEVP-certified school or schools, permit the transfer of student records to another SEVP-certified school so that the student may continue, to the extent practicable, in the same educational objective. This exception is narrow, is intended only to preserve continuity of study in emergency situations, does not create an entitlement to transfer, and does not otherwise authorize an F-1 student to change educational objectives.”
Examples of extenuating circumstances where SEVP may authorize an exception for a transfer may include the following, but are not limited to:
- A school closure,
- A school’s prolonged inability to hold in-person classes due to a natural disaster,
- A student enrolled in elementary and secondary education needing to change schools, or other causes.
The rule does not change the standard duration of post-completion OPT or the STEM OPT extension. However, because your immigration status is now based on a fixed period of admission rather than D/S, you must carefully monitor the expiration date on your Form I-94 to ensure that your authorized period of admission covers your entire period of practical training. If your Form I-94 expiration date does not cover your OPT or STEM OPT period in its entirety, you must timely file an EOS application along with your OPT or STEM OPT employment authorization request, as applicable.
Additionally, please note that the grace period following the completion of OPT has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days under the new rule.
The impact of the new rule depends on whether you remain eligible under the transition provisions or are admitted under the new fixed-period admission system.
Students who were admitted for D/S before September 15, 2026, and who timely file Form I-765 for post-completion OPT or a STEM OPT extension on or before March 18, 2027, do not need to file a separate Extension of Stay (EOS) application.
However, this transition benefit generally does not apply to students who travel internationally after September 15, 2026, are admitted under the new fixed period of admission rule, and then apply for OPT or STEM OPT. In that situation, students may need to file both:
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and
- Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.
Students planning international travel during their final academic year should consult with the Office of International Student Services (OISS) before departing the United States.