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ARTICLE · 03 AUGUST 2026

DHS Final Rule Eliminating Duration Of Status System To F, J, And I Visa Programs

Barnes & Thornburg LLP
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has fundamentally restructured admission requirements for international students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives by replacing the longstanding "duration of status" framework with fixed time periods. What will these changes mean for the hundreds of thousands of individuals currently studying or working in the United States under F, J, and I visa classifications, and how should employers and academic institutions prepare for the September 2026

United StatesImmigration
Tieranny Cutler
Tieranny Cutler
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Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amended its regulations to limit the admission period for individuals in F, J, and I classifications – those categories designated for students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives – from “duration of status” to a fixed time period. The changes, which follow the rule initially proposed in August 2025 and take effect in September 2026, also include modifications to admission and extension requirements. 

The F-1 category in particular will be limited to a four-year period, as well as experience a reduction in the permitted grace period, decreasing the grace period from 60 to 30 days. Further, while still in the classroom, students will be restricted in their ability to alter academic plans, including changing subjects or locations of study. The status of impacted students currently in the United States will be limited to four years from the date of implementation of the rule, set to take place on

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