Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning released detailed guidance on July 27 after the Department of Homeland Security published its long-anticipated rule replacing open-ended ‘duration of status’ (D/S) admissions for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors with fixed end-dates. Effective September 15, 2026, new entrants will receive an ‘admit-until’ date tied to their program end date, capped at four years, with a grace period of just 30 days. Programs that naturally exceed four years—such as PhD tracks or architecture degrees—will require timely I-539 extension petitions or departure and re-entry with updated documents. Transfers and changes of level face new hurdles: graduate students are barred from changing programs unless SEVP grants an exception, and undergraduates must wait one academic year before transferring. Universities nationwide are racing to update advising materials, SEVIS data and orientation sessions. The rule could generate an additional 400,000 extension petitions per year, straining already backlogged USCIS processing. Students who file late risk losing on-campus work eligibility and optional practical training (OPT) benefits. Corporate sponsors should take note. Future F-1 graduates entering OPT or STEM OPT will have to budget extra time and fees for status extensions, while J-1 scholars on five-year research programs may need mid-course petitions. Mobility planners should add at least three months to assignment timelines and monitor whether Congress attempts to overturn the rule under the Congressional Review Act. The shift also alters border-entry dynamics: CBP officers will no longer admit students for the length of the academic program by default, making it critical that travelers verify the ‘admit-until’ date on their I-94 and adjust travel plans accordingly.
