Major changes are coming to the F-1 student visa program. On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule that is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026. Much of the early discussion has focused on the new four-year limit for F-1 students, but that description is not quite accurate and misses some of the most important parts of the rule.
The new rule does not create a four-year lifetime limit on F-1 status, and it does not mean that every student must leave the United States after four years. Instead, F-1 students entering the United States under the new system will receive a specific expiration date on their Form I-94 based on the length of their program, with each period of admission generally limited to no more than four years. A student who needs more time may be able to extend that period, but the extension will now require a separate filing with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
This is where the rule creates a potential trap. Until now, a student who needed additional time to graduate could generally work with the school’s designated school official to extend the program end date on the Form I-20. Under the new system, extending the Form I-20 may no longer be enough. The student will also need to check the expiration date on the Form I-94 and, when necessary, file an extension of stay with USCIS. In other words, the Form I-20 and Form I-94 will become two separate deadlines that must both be monitored.
The extension will also not be automatic simply because the school supports it. USCIS will generally require the student to show that the delay resulted from a compelling academic reason, a documented illness or medical condition, or circumstances outside the student’s control. A recommendation from the school will be part of the application, but USCIS will make the final decision. A student who timely files an extension may continue a full course of study while the application is pending, but a denial would leave the student out of status.
Students who are already in the United States with “D/S” on their Form I-94 will generally receive a transition period and will not all need to file an extension immediately on September 15. A qualifying student who is properly maintaining F-1 status may generally remain until the later of the program end date on the Form I-20 or the expiration date on the student’s employment authorization document, subject to a four-year limit from the effective date. These students will also generally retain the existing 60-day departure period. However, travel outside the United States during the transition period can change the situation because a student who leaves and returns after the rule takes effect will generally receive a new Form I-94 with a fixed expiration date.
The changes will also affect OPT and STEM OPT planning. Under the fixed-date system, an application for employment authorization may not, by itself, extend the student’s F-1 stay. After the rule’s temporary implementation relief ends, many students seeking post-completion OPT or STEM OPT will need to address both employment authorization and the extension of their F-1 admission period. This could turn what was previously one USCIS filing into two separate immigration issues.
There are other significant changes that have received less attention. Students below the graduate level will generally be required to complete their first academic year before transferring schools or changing majors, unless SEVP approves an exception. Graduate students will generally be prohibited from changing their educational objective during the program and will only be able to transfer in limited, extenuating circumstances. In addition, a student who completes a program after the new rule takes effect will generally not be permitted to pursue another F-1 program at the same or a lower educational level. For example, a student who completes a master’s degree may not be able to remain in or return to the United States in F-1 status for a second master’s degree.
The departure period for students admitted under the new system will also be reduced from 60 days to 30 days after completion of the academic program or authorized practical training. Students in English-language training programs will face an additional restriction, with F-1 admission for language study generally limited to an aggregate of 24 months.
For F-1 students, the practical lesson is that the Form I-20 will no longer tell the entire story. Students will need to track the program end date on the Form I-20, the expiration date on the Form I-94, and, when applicable, the expiration date on an employment authorization document. Students should also review the consequences before traveling, transferring schools, changing programs, beginning another degree, or applying for OPT.
If you are currently in F-1 status or are planning to begin a program in the United States, please contact our office to discuss how the new F-1 regulations may affect your studies, employment authorization, travel, and future immigration plans.
