DHS finalises fixed admission periods for F and J visa holders, ending ‘duration of status’

In a long-anticipated move, the Department of Homeland Security on July 17 published— and on July 23 expanded guidance for— a final rule that abolishes the open-ended “duration of status” (D/S) entry stamp historically granted to academic (F) and exchange (J) non-immigrants. From 15 September 2026, new entrants will receive a fixed I-94 expiry date tied to their programme end plus a 30-day grace period, replacing the current 60-day window. Students or scholars already inside the United States on D/S may remain until their current programme end date or for four years—whichever comes first—but must then file an Extension of Stay with USCIS and meet tighter rules on school transfers, changes of major and level. Any departure and re-entry after the effective date will trigger conversion to date-certain status. Universities and J-1 sponsors face a compliance overhaul. SEVIS reporting cycles will shorten, Designated School Officials must track program-end accuracy, and employers sponsoring F-1 OPT, STEM OPT or J-1 trainees should expect more Requests for Evidence to confirm work matches the academic field. HR teams reliant on cap-gap or STEM extensions must calendar new “admit-until” dates and file timely EOS petitions to avoid unlawful-presence bars. DHS argues that finite validity strengthens national-security vetting and aligns students with other visa categories. Higher-education groups warn of added costs, saying the change undermines the U.S.’s competitive edge against Canada and Australia, which offer generous post-study work rights. Litigation is expected, but absent court intervention, mobility managers should prepare now: adjust arrival orientations, build EOS filing budgets, and advise travelling students that automatic revalidation trips to Canada or Mexico will now carry higher overstay risk. The rule’s ripple effects extend to corporate training pipelines and research collaborations. Organisations counting on multi-year J-1 rotations will need to sequence extension filings or pivot to H-1B or O-1 visas, potentially raising wage-level obligations. The 60-day/30-day grace-period reduction also narrows the window for job-search after graduation, complicating employers’ campus-recruitment strategies.