In a sweeping, decades-overdue shift to the nation’s immigration framework, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday, July 16, 2026, that it will eliminate the longstanding “duration of status” policy and implement fixed maximum stay limits for three categories of nonimmigrant visa holders: foreign students on F visas, exchange visitors on J visas, and international media representatives on I visas.
For nearly 50 years, the “duration of status” rule allowed eligible nonimmigrants to remain in the U.S. for as long as they maintained their visa requirements, no regular reapproval from federal immigration authorities required. DHS officials argue this decades-old framework has created a critical loophole in immigration oversight, enabling widespread abuse of the system that puts national security at risk.
“For nearly half a century, the outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the official announcement. Mullin claimed that the open-ended approval structure has allowed thousands of foreign visitors to abuse the system by perpetually enrolling in low-level courses simply to avoid departing the U.S.
Under the new final rule, F and J visa holders will only be admitted to the U.S. for the length of their approved academic or exchange program, with a hard maximum stay of four years. I visa holders, the third group covered by the change, will also receive fixed admission periods aligned with their reporting assignments.
The overhaul brings a series of additional key adjustments to visa protocols. First, any student that requires extra time to complete their program must now submit a formal Extension of Stay application directly to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), where every request will be subjected to mandatory biometric screening, full background checks, and anti-fraud reviews. Second, the post-completion grace period for F-1 students — the window they are allowed to remain in the U.S. after finishing studies, transferring institutions, or changing immigration status — has been cut in half, dropping from 60 days to 30 days. Third, new tighter restrictions have been imposed on students seeking to switch their approved academic programs after arrival.
The regulation is set to be published in the Federal Register in the coming days and will take effect 60 days after publication. All current F, J, and I visa holders already residing in the U.S. under the old “duration of status” system will automatically transition to the new framework, with their maximum authorized stay capped at four years starting from the rule’s effective date.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will continue to manage oversight of participating educational institutions and international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which tracks visa holders’ compliance with U.S. immigration rules.
Policy analysts describe the change as one of the most sweeping overhauls of student and exchange visitor visa administration in generations, shifting primary oversight responsibility from host educational institutions to federal immigration authorities through mandatory periodic status reviews. DHS says the core goals of the reform are to strengthen immigration enforcement, crack down on systemic visa abuse, and enhance national security through regular, standardized vetting of all nonimmigrant visitors covered by the rule. Officials added that fixed time limits will also help keep international students focused on completing their academic programs before returning to their home countries, aligning with the original purpose of nonimmigrant student visas.