WASHINGTON (MNN); The United States is introducing major changes to its immigration rules for international students from Tuesday, requiring F-1 students to keep closer track of the period for which they are authorised to remain in the country.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ending the long-standing “duration of status” (D/S) system for F-1 students and replacing it with a fixed period of admission.
Under the new system, F-1 students will generally be admitted for the duration of the academic programme listed on their Form I-20, subject to a maximum of four years. Students will also have a 30-day period before the programme begins to enter the United States and 30 days to depart after completing their programme or authorised post-completion training.
Students who require additional time to complete their existing programme, start another programme, or undertake post-completion OPT or STEM OPT will have to take further immigration steps.
They may apply to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for an extension of stay, or leave the United States and seek a new period of admission from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when they return.
DHS is advising students to consult their college or university’s designated school official before seeking an extension. Students applying for an extension must generally file Form I-539 with USCIS after obtaining the required recommendation on an updated Form I-20.
What about students already in the US?
The new rule does not mean that every F-1 student currently in the United States must file a new application on September 15.
Students who are already in F-1 status under the existing D/S system on September 15 may generally remain in the country without immediately applying for an extension, until the applicable programme or OPT/STEM OPT end date, subject to the transition provisions.
For such students, the transition period generally extends no later than November 14, 2030.
However, international travel could change their immigration status upon return. F-1 students who leave the United States after September 15 may be readmitted under the new fixed-period system rather than the previous D/S system.
Students planning overseas travel are therefore being advised to consult their designated school official before leaving the country.
New restrictions on academic changes
The new rule also introduces additional restrictions on changes to an F-1 student’s academic plans.
Undergraduate students will generally not be permitted to change their educational level or major during the first year of a programme, except in certain extenuating circumstances.
Graduate students will face additional restrictions concerning changes in educational level, major and school transfers.
The rule also reduces the post-completion departure period from 60 days to 30 days for students covered by the new system.
New USCIS forms
The changes also affect immigration paperwork. Students filing Form I-539 for an extension or change of nonimmigrant status, or Form I-765 for employment authorisation, must use the new form editions required by USCIS from September 15.
USCIS has indicated that there will be no grace period for applicants who continue using older editions, making it important for students to check the edition date before submitting their applications.
Universities warn students to review travel plans
Several major US universities, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell and Stanford, have issued guidance urging international students to carefully review their immigration records and travel plans.
Universities have stressed that September 15 itself is not a blanket deadline for current F-1 students to leave the United States or submit a new application.
However, students should understand their individual Form I-94, programme end date, OPT plans and the potential consequences of international travel.
Yale has advised students already in the US under the previous D/S system that they generally do not need to take immediate action on September 15. However, students travelling abroad and returning after that date will generally receive a new I-94 containing a specific “admit until” date and should check the document after every international trip.
Harvard has similarly cautioned that international travel after September 15 could affect future OPT and extension-of-stay planning.
Columbia and Cornell have issued detailed transition guidance, while Stanford has warned that F-1 and J-1 students will no longer be admitted under the D/S notation once the new system takes effect.
The DHS changes also affect J-1 exchange visitors and certain I-visa holders, including representatives of foreign information media. They will generally be admitted for a fixed period rather than remaining in the country for the duration of their programme or assignment.
J-1 participants who require additional time will generally need to seek an extension of stay, while the admission period for I-visa representatives will be linked to the length of their authorised media assignment.
The changes do not broadly affect other major nonimmigrant categories such as H-1B, L-1, O-1 and B-1/B-2, which already operate under fixed periods of admission.
