The US Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule on 16 July 2026, ending the long-standing Duration of Status framework for F-1 student visa holders, J-1 exchange visitors, and I visa holders. Under the previous system, students could remain in the US for as long as they maintained valid academic status. That flexibility is now gone.
Under the new framework, stays are capped at four years from the date of admission. Students who need additional time to complete their programmes including doctoral candidates, medical residents, and those in multi-year STEM research, will have to apply for an extension through Form I-539 and receive approval from US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The rule takes effect on 15 September 2026, 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Indian students already in the US on a Duration of Status basis will transition automatically, with their stays capped at four years from that effective date.
India is the largest source country for F-1 students in the US. The grace period for students to leave, transfer, or change status after completing their studies has also been cut from 60 days to 30 days. Graduate students are additionally barred from changing their educational objectives mid-course and cannot transfer to another institution without prior federal authorisation.
For working professionals, the knock-on effects are significant. Optional Practical Training, the post-study work scheme widely used by Indian graduates as a bridge to H-1B employment, has not been abolished, but its operation under the new fixed-admission system is less certain. Students will need to ensure their underlying F-1 status remains valid throughout any OPT period, and uncertainty remains over cases where a fixed admission period expires during STEM OPT extension.
India's Ministry of External Affairs has said it is in contact with US authorities to minimise difficulties for genuine students and travellers. Advocacy groups, meanwhile, have urged Congress to restore the earlier Duration of Status system or carve out exemptions for graduate and STEM programmes that routinely exceed four years.
