Duration of Status (D/S) Transition

On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published a new regulation eliminating “Duration of Status” (D/S) for individuals on an F or J visa. These changes will impact not only student's permitted period of stay within the United States, but also their academic mobility while they are engaged in their program of study. 

These new regulations are set to go into effect on September 15, 2026. For most students who are already in the United States, there will not be any immediate impact. 

However, those who intend to do any of the following within the next 3-6 months, should take special notice as they may be impacted by these new changes:

1. Travel outside of the United States
2. Change your major
3. Extend your I-20 or DS-2019 because you need additional time to complete your program
4. Transfer to a new school in the United States
5. Change to a new degree level
6. Graduate
7. Apply for OPT/STEM OPT
8. Pursue a second degree after completing OPT

What are the big changes?

All F-1 and J-1 students and their dependents will have a fixed period of admission to complete their educational objective, based on their I-20 or DS-2019 end date, plus an additional adjusted grace period. The new grace period will be 30 days instead of 60 for any individual who enters or re-enters the United States after the implementation of the new rule.

The new regulations also impact students’ academic mobility and ability to change their schools, levels, or academic programs while in the United States. 

What is not changing?

The new regulations do not change the F-1/J-1 enrollment requirements, on-campus employment, off-campus employment, or practical training (CPT or OPT). In fact, most of the other areas of the F-1 regulations remain unchanged. 

How will the end date of a student’s status be calculated?

All students and dependents, even those who retain the "D/S" Duration of Status notation on their I-94, will have an “Admit Until Date” (AUD). AUDs are commonly used in other visa categories (H-1B Employee, B-1 Tourist, etc.) to designate how long an individual is permitted to stay in the United States. 

A student’s AUD will generally be the end date of their I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) plus the appropriate grace period. However, the AUD can never be more than 4 years in the future. If at the time of calculation, the Program End Date is more than 4 years in the future, the AUD will be four years plus the grace period.

Students who are in the U.S. OR return to the U.S. before September 15, 2026, will retain a "D/S" on their I-94, retain their current 60-day grace period, but will still have an AUD. The duration of your AUD will be calculated on September 15. Here are some examples:

• Gildong Hong entered the U.S. originally on February 28, 2026. 
• He has a master’s I-20 with a Start Date of March 23, 2026 and an End Date of December 31, 2028. 
• On September 15, because his Program End Date is less than 4 years away, his AUD will be March 01, 2029 (December 31, 2028 [program end date] + 60-day grace period).
   
• Jan Kowalski entered the U.S. originally on June 1, 2025. 
• He has a bachelor’s I-20 with a Start Date of June 13, 2025 and an End Date of December 31, 2030. 
• On September 15, because his Program End Date is more than 4 years away, his AUD will be November 14, 2030 (September 15, 2026 [date of rule implementation] + 4 years + 60-day grace period).

If you travel outside of the United States and re-enter on or after September 15, 2026, you will be re-admitted with an Admit Until Date (AUD). AUDs are commonly used in other visa categories (H-1B Employee, B-1 Tourist, etc.) to designate how long an individual is permitted to stay in the United States. This AUD will be printed on your new I-94 and will generally be determined by the Program End date on your I-20 (F visas) or DS-2019 (J visas). 

If, on the day of entry, your Program End Date is less than 4 years away, you will receive an AUD equal to your Program End Date + 30 days.

• Hanako Yamada travels and re-enters the U.S. on December 04, 2026. 
• She has a master’s I-20 with a Start Date of April 28, 2026 and an End Date of June 30, 2029. 
• On her day of entry, because her Program End Date is less than 4 years away, her AUD will be July 30, 2029 (June 30, 2029 [program end date] + 30-day grace period).

If, on the day of entry, your Program End date is more than 4 years away, you will receive an AUD equal to Date of Entry + 4 years + 30 days.

• Ifé Akano travels and re-enters the U.S. on September 26, 2026. 
• She has a PhD I-20 with a Start Date of September 20, 2024 and an End Date of December 31, 2030. 
• On her day of entry, because her Program End Date is more than 4 years away, her AUD will be October 25, 2030 (September 26, 2026 [date of most recent entry] + 4 years + 30 days).

Please note that the 30 days represents your new grace period. Students who travel and re-enter after September 15 will no longer have a 60 day grace period. This means that, upon completion of your academic program, you will only have 30 days (not 60) to remain in the United States or make arrangements to apply for OPT, transfer, or begin a higher degree program. Only those who do not travel and re-enter after September 15 will retain their 60 day grace period.

You will also be required to apply for an Extension of Stay (I-539) at the same time as your OPT/STEM OPT application (I-765). 

AUDs are meant to give you enough time to complete a single educational objective (i.e. finish a degree program OR complete practical training, etc.). If you require additional time to complete your objective or need to transition from one objective to another, you must request an "extension of stay" to cover that extra period of time. 

Some valid reasons for an extension of stay may include: 

• Needing additional time to complete the requirements of your degree
• Finishing one degree program and planning to study in a new degree program
• Transferring to a new school
• Graduating and applying for OPT
• Being on OPT and wanting to apply for the STEM Extension
• A J-1 student completing their exchange program and wishing to engage in Academic Training

For the most part, if you need to extend your AUD, you will need to work with an immigration advisor in OISSS to update your I-20 or DS-2019 with a new Program End Date, academic level, or OPT authorization. If you are planning to transfer to a new school, you will also need to work with your new school to receive an updated I-20 from them as well.

Once the student has their new I-20 or DS-2019 with a new Program End Date, they have two options to extend their status:

1. Apply for an I-539 Extension of Stay (EOS) with USCIS.
2. Travel outside the U.S. and re-enter with the new I-20 or DS-2019 to receive a new AUD.

Students who plan to apply for an Extension of Stay within the U.S. are encouraged to apply as early as possible.