DHS Ends Duration of Status for F, J, and I Visas on 15 September 2026

On 15 September 2026 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ends duration of status for F academic students, J exchange visitors, and I foreign media representatives. Study in the States, updated on 10 September 2026, still lists the same start date. Your Form I-94 will carry a fixed Admit Until Date instead of the old D/S stamp.

DHS published the final rule in the Federal Register on 17 July 2026 (91 Fed. Reg. 44976). The Student and Exchange Visitor Program plans SEVIS Release 6.89.1 from 8 p.m. on 14 September 2026 through 4 a.m. Eastern on 15 September 2026. Talk with your designated school official before travel or a filing after the switch.

What changes for F-1 students

Under the new rule, CBP admits F-1 students for a fixed period tied to the program length on Form I-20. Admission lasts no longer than four years, plus a 30-day arrival window and a 30-day departure window. English language training programs receive a 24-month admission plus a 30-day departure window. Public high school study, including charter schools funded by U.S. taxpayers, stays limited to an aggregate of 12 months.

The post-completion departure period shrinks from 60 days to 30 days after the program end date or after post-completion OPT or STEM OPT. Plan housing, shipping, and exit travel around the shorter window.

When you need Form I-539

If you need more time to finish a program, start a new program, or begin post-completion OPT or STEM OPT beyond your Admit Until Date, file Form I-539 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or leave the United States and seek a new admission from CBP. Your DSO must first issue an updated Form I-20 with the correct extension recommendation. Then file Form I-539 on time, pay the fee, and complete biometrics.

Travel remains an alternative. An F-1 student with an unexpired visa who departs after the rule starts and later seeks admission again receives a new Form I-94 with a new fixed period, subject to eligibility and admissibility checks at the port of entry.

Limits on majors, transfers, and degree changes

The rule adds hard limits on program moves:

• Below graduate level, you face a bar on changing educational level during the first year of a program, unless SEVP grants an exception for extenuating circumstances.
• At graduate level or above, you face a bar on changing educational level at any point during the program.
• After completing a program, you face a bar on enrolling at a lower level or at the same level again.
• Below graduate level, major changes stay blocked during the first year unless SEVP grants an exception.
• At graduate level or above, major changes stay blocked for the full program.
• Below graduate level, school transfers stay blocked during the first year unless SEVP grants an exception.
• At graduate level or above, school transfers stay blocked unless SEVP grants an exception.

Confirm every planned transfer or major change with your DSO against the final rule text before you rely on old SEVIS habits.

Transition rules if you already hold D/S

If you hold F-1 duration of status and you remain present in the United States on 15 September 2026, you stay authorized through the Program End Date on your Form I-20 or through the end of post-completion OPT or STEM OPT valid on the effective date. Authorization under the transition does not extend past 14 November 2030 (four years plus a 60-day departure period).

If you depart after the effective date and later return, CBP issues a new fixed admission period on reentry. Students present on 15 September 2026 who file post-completion OPT or STEM OPT on time by 18 March 2027 do not need a separate Form I-539 for the OPT filing. Students who travel first, receive a fixed admission on return, and then file OPT must include Form I-539 with the OPT request.

Cap-gap benefits continue without a separate Form I-539 for eligible F-1 beneficiaries of a timely filed cap-subject H-1B petition. Status continues until H-1B approval or until 1 April of the fiscal year named in the petition, whichever arrives first.

J-1 and I classifications

The same final rule replaces duration of status for J exchange visitors and I foreign media representatives. Fixed admission periods and extension filings apply across those classifications as well. Media representatives on I status face shorter caps in the rule text, including a lower ceiling for many PRC passport holders. Exchange visitors should confirm DS-2019 dates and sponsor instructions before international travel in mid-September.

Court challenge and Congressional Review Act note

A coalition led by NAFSA and the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV heard the preliminary injunction motion on 3 September 2026 and took the matter under advisement. As of 13 September 2026, no injunction blocks the rule.

The Government Accountability Office stated on 4 August 2026 in decision B-338604: the printed 15 September date fails the full 60-day delay for a major rule under the Congressional Review Act because the Senate received the rule on 20 July 2026. The Federal Register notice says DHS will publish another document if congressional review moves the date or ends the rule. Study in the States still posts 15 September 2026 as the planned start. Recheck Study in the States, the Federal Register, and your DSO before you book travel or pay filing fees.

Actions for the next 48 hours

• Photograph your current Form I-20 or DS-2019 and Form I-94 today.
• Ask your DSO how SEVIS Release 6.89.1 will show your Admit Until Date after 15 September 2026.
• If you planned a school transfer, major change, or degree-level change in the first year, ask whether SEVP exceptions apply.
• If you need OPT soon, map the 18 March 2027 filing window against travel plans.
• If you hold J-1 or I status, ask your sponsor or employer for written guidance on fixed admission dates.
• Watch for a new Federal Register notice or a court order before you treat 15 September as final for irreversible decisions.

MigrantIQ tracks official SEVP, USCIS, and Federal Register updates for students and temporary workers. Save your corridor in My Plan and reopen Study in the States after the SEVIS release lands.