Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security published a final rule Thursday that ends the long-used “duration of status” system and sets initial admission limits for F and J visa holders to a maximum of four years.
- The rule caps I‑visa journalists’ stays at 240 days with case-by-case extension requests and imposes a 90-day maximum for journalists who are citizens of China.
- DHS reduces the post-completion window for students from 60 days to 30 days and requires travelers who leave after the rule takes effect to receive a new I-94 with a fixed departure date.
- The regulation takes effect 60 days after Federal Register publication but is subject to congressional review and possible legal challenges that could pause or change its rollout.
- Universities and about 100 international media outlets warned the limits will complicate recruiting, research and foreign coverage, and DHS said the change responds to rapid growth in admissions and gaps in ongoing oversight after tens of thousands of public comments.