Tag: J-1 exchange visitors

DHS Ends Student Visa ‘Duration of Status’ – Key Changes and How Universities Can Prepare

Vanessa Agudelo, Kate Lee Carey and Shannon Noonan

On July 17, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that eliminates the long-standing practice of Duration of Status (D/S) and replaces it with a fixed period of admission for F and J visa holders. The rule, which takes effect September 15, 2026, will impact hundreds of thousands of F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, their dependents, and the institutions and employers that support them. Institutions need to be prepared to assist students and handle the new administrative demands. Here is what schools need to know and what they should be doing right now.