The implementation of a regulation that would introduce a new model for the length of stay of F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors in the US was temporarily halted by a ruling from a federal district court in Massachusetts on September 14, 2026. The regulation was scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026. As a result, the new rules for students and exchange visitors will not take effect until the case is resolved.
The new model would have abolished the long-standing Duration of Status system and provided people in F and J status with a specific admission end date. Under the current system, F-1 students can complete their programs without a fixed end date on their visa or I-94 as long as they continue their academic programs and comply with the requirements of their status. Under the planned changes, the authorized period of stay would have been more closely linked to the student’s academic program and the designated admission period.
One of the regulation’s main elements was a general four-year maximum for F-1 students. However, this limit did not mean that every student could automatically and unconditionally remain for four years. Students whose programs lasted less time could receive a shorter admission period, while academic progress and immigration-status requirements would continue to determine eligibility.
The planned system could have applied through transitional provisions not only to students newly admitted to the US, but also to some students already in the country on the effective date who maintained D/S status. In addition to F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors and, in some cases, people covered by post-graduation work authorization could have been affected by the regulation. Some students who needed to extend their stay might also have been required to file a separate application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the fixed-period model as a way to monitor students’ academic progress and compliance with status requirements more closely. The department also said that the existing D/S system could allow stays that extend beyond the period of study and the misuse of status rules. Universities and international education organizations, meanwhile, warned that the change could create administrative and financial uncertainty for students, post-graduation work authorization, school transfers and extension applications.
The court’s September 14 ruling did not permanently invalidate the regulation; it only temporarily postponed its implementation. The regulation’s future therefore remains unresolved until the court completes its review of the merits of the case. International student offices at universities said that current students’ D/S status remains in effect for now and that individuals should follow the latest guidance from their university offices and official immigration authorities regarding their particular circumstances.
