1 week ago
Key US Immigration Dates for Indian Students and Workers
US immigration has several important dates, but each person also has personal deadlines.
On September 3, 2026, a court may discuss whether to delay a new student-admission rule.
The rule is scheduled to begin on September 15, 2026.
It could give some students a fixed date on their I-94 showing when their stay ends.
Students applying for OPT may have less time after graduation to file their applications.
H-1B registration usually happens in early March, and employers can generally file selected petitions starting April 1.
October 1 begins the government’s new fiscal year and can affect H-1B jobs and green-card visa numbers.
Green-card applicants should check the Visa Bulletin each month and compare it with their priority dates.
Everyone should keep a personal calendar because their own documents may set earlier deadlines.
A September 3, 2026, court hearing may affect the September 15 F-1 and J-1 admission-rule change.
From September 15, 2026, some students reentering the US may receive fixed I-94 admission dates instead of Duration of Status.
The post-completion OPT filing window’s grace period after program completion is expected to shrink from 60 days to 30 days.
H-1B registration is expected in early March 2027, with selections generally announced by the end of March and petitions starting April 1.
Students and workers must also monitor personal I-20, EAD, I-94, petition, unemployment, reporting, and green-card priority-date deadlines.
- Who
- Indian F-1 and J-1 students, OPT and STEM OPT workers, H-1B professionals, H-4 workers, and employment-based green-card applicants; immigration attorney Kevin Andrews provided guidance.
- What
- A calendar of seven important US immigration dates and personal deadlines affecting student, work, and employment-based green-card pathways.
- Where
- The deadlines concern immigration status and applications in the United States, including entries documented through I-94 records.
- When
- The key dates run from September 3, 2026, through March 2027 and include recurring dates in early March, April 1, October 1, and the middle of each month.
- Why
- The dates may determine admission periods, OPT and STEM OPT filings, H-1B registration and cap-gap protection, employment start dates, and green-card eligibility.
Key facts
- Court hearing
- September 3, 2026, in federal court in Massachusetts; the hearing concerns a motion to postpone the new admission rule.
- F-1/J-1 rule
- The fixed-term admission rule is scheduled to take effect September 15, 2026.
- OPT filing change
- The post-completion OPT filing period after the program end date is expected to decrease from 60 days to 30 days; the 90-day early-filing period remains unchanged.
- OPT/STEM OPT transition
- March 18, 2027, is identified as the transition deadline for certain OPT or STEM OPT filings without a separate extension-of-stay filing.
- H-1B registration
- FY2028 registration is expected around early March 2027; the current registration fee is $215 per registration.
- H-1B petitions
- Employers can generally file cap petitions for selected beneficiaries from April 1 through June 30.
- Fiscal-year reset
- October 1 begins the US federal fiscal year and resets annual employment-based immigrant visa limits.
- Personal deadlines
- H-1B workers should monitor I-94 and petition expiry dates; workers who lose employment may have a 60-day grace period, subject to the earlier controlling date.
Quotes
Kevin Andrews
US immigration attorney consulted about the immigration deadlines.
“Check it after every entry, because CBP sometimes shortens admissions to match a passport expiration, and the I-94 controls over the approval notice.”
financialexpress.com
“My advice to students is to plan as though September 15 holds, because it does until a court says otherwise.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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