Not necessarily. If you were admitted for D/S before September 15, 2026 and are physically present in the United States in valid F or J status when the rule takes effect, you may qualify for transition provisions and do not need to obtain a new I-94 simply because the regulation changes.

You should, however, understand your transition period and contact IPO before future travel, program changes, transfers, extensions, or other immigration actions.

D/S means Duration of Status. Under the previous system, most F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors were admitted for D/S rather than to a specific expiration date.

The new rule replaces D/S with fixed periods of admission for individuals admitted under the new framework.

The Admit Until Date is the date shown on your Form I-94 that identifies the end of the period for which you were admitted to the United States.

Under the new F and J framework, the AUD will generally be based on the program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019, subject to the four-year maximum period of admission, plus the applicable 30-day departure period.

You can retrieve your most recent electronic Form I-94 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection I-94 website.

Retrieve Your I-94

IPO recommends checking your I-94 after every entry into the United States.

No.

Your visa is primarily used to seek admission to the United States. Your Form I-94 documents the period for which CBP actually admitted you.

A visa can expire while you remain lawfully in the United States, provided you are otherwise maintaining status and remain within your authorized period of stay.

No.

The four-year limit is generally a maximum period of admission at one time, not a lifetime maximum on study in the United States.

Students in longer programs may need an Extension of Stay or another qualifying immigration action to obtain additional authorized time.

Contact IPO as early as possible.

IPO must first determine whether you qualify for a program extension and make any required SEVIS update. If additional time will extend beyond your authorized stay, you may also need to file Form I-539 with USCIS for an Extension of Stay.

A program extension from IPO does not necessarily, by itself, extend your immigration stay under the new rules.

No.

Form I-539 is a personal application filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. IPO can advise you about your F-1 or J-1 requirements, make appropriate SEVIS recommendations, and issue immigration documents when you are eligible, but the USCIS application belongs to the individual applicant.

Students seeking individualized legal representation or legal strategy may wish to consult a qualified immigration attorney.

It depends.

The new regulations provide limited continued work authorization for certain existing F-1 on-campus employment, CPT, and qualifying severe-economic-hardship employment when an Extension of Stay is properly and timely filed before the applicable program end date. The automatic extension is generally limited to 240 days and is subject to additional requirements.

Filing during the 30-day departure period does not provide the same continued employment protection.

Contact IPO before continuing employment after your existing authorization would otherwise end.

An EOS denial can have serious consequences.

If USCIS denies the application after your previous authorized admission period has already expired, you may be required to depart the United States immediately. Contact IPO immediately if you receive an unexpected USCIS notice regarding your F or J status.

Generally, a student below the graduate level may not change educational objectives, including the major or educational level, during the first academic year of the program.

After completing the first academic year, a change may be possible if the student otherwise remains eligible under F-1 regulations.

Contact IPO before changing the major in university records.

The new regulation generally prohibits an F-1 student at the graduate level or above from changing educational objectives during the program of study.

Because graduate academic structures can be complex, contact IPO before changing a graduate program, major, or educational level.

The answer depends on your educational level and circumstances.

Students below the graduate level generally may not transfer during the first academic year unless SEVP authorizes an exception for qualifying extenuating circumstances.

Graduate students generally may not transfer during the program unless SEVP authorizes a qualifying extenuating-circumstances exception.

Other F-1 transfer eligibility requirements also continue to apply.

The new rule generally prohibits an F-1 student who completes a program in the United States on or after September 15, 2026 from pursuing a subsequent F-1 program at the same or a lower educational level.

For example, completing a master's degree and then beginning another master's degree would generally be prohibited under the new framework.

Programs completed before September 15, 2026 do not trigger this new restriction.

Generally, yes, if you otherwise qualify.

For example, completing a bachelor's degree and moving to a master's degree or completing a master's degree and moving to a doctorate represents upward academic progression.

However, the change may require a new I-20 and an Extension of Stay if the new program extends beyond your current authorized period.

Yes.

OPT and STEM OPT remain available to eligible F-1 students, but under the new framework a student may also need an Extension of Stay to cover the requested practical-training period.

Special transition rules temporarily exempt certain D/S transition students from the additional I-539 requirement if they timely file an eligible OPT or STEM OPT application on or before March 18, 2027.

If you are currently protected by the D/S transition rules, leaving and reentering the United States on or after September 15 generally moves you into the new fixed-admission framework.

Upon reentry, CBP will normally issue a new I-94 with a specific Admit Until Date.

This does not mean international travel is prohibited, but students should understand the effect travel may have on their immigration situation.

It depends on which framework applies to you.

F-1 students protected by the D/S transition provisions generally retain the legacy 60-day departure period while they remain within those transition provisions.

F-1 students admitted under the new fixed-admission framework generally receive a 30-day departure period.

J-1 exchange visitors generally have a 30-day departure period.

Because an Extension of Stay or international travel may change which framework applies, contact IPO if you are uncertain.

Yes.

The final rule establishes a 24-month aggregate lifetime limit for F-1 English language training beginning prospectively with programs under the new rule. Time in English language programs completed before the effective date does not count toward that new limit.

Students enrolled in or considering English language training should contact IPO if they have questions about how the limit applies to their academic plans. 

F-2 and J-2 dependents are also affected by the fixed-period-of-admission system.

Their authorized period generally cannot extend beyond the authorized period of the F-1 or J-1 principal. When the principal needs an Extension of Stay, dependents may also need to be included in or separately file the appropriate USCIS application.

Contact IPO promptly.

Do not assume an error will correct itself. An incorrect immigration classification or Admit Until Date can affect your authorized stay and future immigration benefits.

Bring or send IPO a copy of your passport biographical page, visa, I-20 or DS-2019, and I-94 so your IPO advisor can review the admission record.

Do not make a major decision based only on general website information.

The impact of the new rule depends on your specific immigration history, educational level, current I-94, program dates, previous U.S. study, future academic plans, employment authorization, and travel.

Contact IPO before making an immigration-sensitive decision if you are unsure.