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2mo ago

DHS Ends Duration‑of‑Status, Limits Many Student and Exchange Stays to Four Years

The rule shifts oversight to USCIS through a formal extension process, raising fees, shortening post‑completion leave, increasing travel‑triggered reentry risks.

At the University of California system, where international students comprise about 30% of graduate degree program enrollment, the rule change is concerning, officials said. UC Berkeley, shown in a file photo, alone enrolls about 3,300 international students as undergraduates and about 3,900 international graduate students, according to university data.  
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Overview

  • DHS published the final rule in mid‑July and it takes effect on September 15, 2026, replacing the decades‑old D/S system with fixed I‑94 admission dates for F, J and I nonimmigrants.
  • Transition provisions let many current students remain until their program end date or a transition cutoff, but leaving and reentering after the effective date will often trigger the new fixed‑period I‑94 rules.
  • The rule generally caps many student and exchange admissions at four years and requires USCIS extension‑of‑stay filings with biometrics, background checks and fees for anyone who needs more time.
  • Universities, research labs and higher‑education groups say the limits and added federal adjudication could delay PhD and medical training completion, reduce international graduate enrollment and strain advising resources and budgets.
  • Stakeholders are preparing for likely USCIS processing bottlenecks, urgent travel and reentry advisories, and legal and congressional scrutiny as institutions plan extension workflows before full implementation.