2 weeks ago
Federal Court Blocks US Student Visa Duration Rule
A US court temporarily stopped a new rule about student visas.
The rule would have given many international students a fixed stay of up to four years.
Students in longer programs might have needed to ask for extra time.
It also would have shortened the time students get after finishing school and made some changes harder.
The rule was supposed to begin on September 15.
A judge blocked it nationwide on September 14.
For now, F-1 and J-1 students can continue using the older Duration of Status system.
They do not need to file a new application because of this court order.
The government may appeal, so students should continue handling their immigration paperwork carefully.
A federal judge blocked nationwide a DHS rule that would have ended Duration of Status for F-1 and J-1 students.
The rule was scheduled to take effect on September 15 after being finalized in July.
It would have imposed a maximum four-year admission period and required extensions for some students.
The rule also proposed shortening the post-study grace period from 60 days to 30 days and tightening transfer and program-change requirements.
Duration of Status remains in effect for now, but the US government is expected to appeal the preliminary order.
- Who
- F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, the US Department of Homeland Security, higher-education groups and unions, and a federal judge.
- What
- A federal court temporarily blocked a rule that would replace Duration of Status with fixed admission periods and impose additional visa restrictions.
- Where
- Nationwide in the United States.
- When
- The rule was blocked on September 14, shortly before its planned September 15 start date; it had been finalized in July.
- Why
- Higher-education groups and unions argued that DHS rushed the rule and failed to adequately consider its real-world costs; the judge found that the challengers had a strong case.
Rule challengers
DHS policy
Validity and impact of the rule
Rule challengers
NAFSA, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and other groups argued that the rule was rushed through improperly and that its practical costs were not seriously evaluated.
DHS policy
The Department of Homeland Security finalized the rule, which would have replaced Duration of Status with fixed admission periods and added restrictions for international students.
Effect on students and universities
Rule challengers
The challengers pointed to reported declines in international applications and students withdrawing from Fall 2026 plans as evidence of harm.
DHS policy
The article does not state DHS’s response to those reported effects or provide a separate explanation of the rule’s intended benefits.
Key facts
- Current status
- Duration of Status remains in force under the preliminary nationwide court order.
- Affected visa categories
- F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors.
- Planned effective date
- September 15.
- Proposed admission limit
- A maximum fixed period of four years.
- Proposed grace-period change
- The post-study grace period would have been reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
- Court action date
- September 14.
- Next legal step
- The US government is expected to appeal.
Sources
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