Archive · 23 Aug 2026
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.
- 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.
- Where
- The deadlines concern immigration status and applications in the United States, including entries documented through I-94 records.
- 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.
- 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.