Overview
- U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV granted a preliminary injunction on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, blocking the rule nationwide one day before it was to take effect and scheduling further proceedings for Oct. 2.
- The July rule would have replaced the long‑standing duration‑of‑status system with Admit Until Dates, generally capped at four years for F‑1 and many J‑1 holders and 240 days for most I visa journalists.
- Under the regulation many students would need to file Form I‑539 with USCIS to extend their stay, pay a roughly $400 fee, submit biometrics, and face discretionary denials that cannot be appealed.
- Judge Saylor said DHS failed to respond to public comments and offered a weak national security rationale, writing that the agency’s justification 'borders on the absurd,' though the injunction does not decide the rule’s merits.
- Universities and student advisers warn the rule would disrupt Ph.D. completion, internships and OPT, add heavy advising and filing burdens to campus international offices, and risk reducing international enrollment and related economic activity.