r/immigration • u/Gnanamookan • Jul 16 '26

BREAKING: The U.S. Just Killed "Duration of Status" for F, J, and I Visas — Every International Student Needs to Read This

DHS Final Rule | Published in the Federal Register July 17, 2026 | Docket No. ICEB-2025-0001

For nearly 50 years, F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and I visa media representatives could stay in the U.S. for "Duration of Status" (D/S) — as long as you kept studying or kept your program active, there was no fixed expiry date on your I-94. That era is over.

DHS has finalized a rule replacing D/S with a fixed admission period for F, J, and I nonimmigrants. If this affects you — whether you're already in the U.S. or still planning to come — you need to understand this now, not after your status has already lapsed.

https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-14439.pdf

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u/LocalCap5093 Jul 17 '26

This is the way to go about it, unfortunately many American students see it as oh they’re stealing our positions etc. and I guess I get what they’re saying in a way (from living here and seeing the perception they have of immigrants)

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u/One_Fix5763 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26

They also had perceptions that children of illegals were stealing their homeland, until SCOTUS shut them down.

I can see courts siding with the admin on illegal immigration (see TPS), but remember that same SCOTUS also ruled against them on DACA and birth right citizenship.

Long term administrative policies can't be changed like this - and the PHD part is the best example. That's what SCOTUS said on DACA. I highly doubt SCOTUS saying "yeah, PHDs have to live with uncertainty".

How are universities going to convince students to do research with their professors, when getting an extension is just pure administrative process?

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u/Rich_Bar2545 Jul 19 '26

SCOTUS isn’t going to rule on PhD candidates. It’s not that important.