F1 visa changes 2026: What the new fixed stay rule actually means for you
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A fixed 4-year F-1 stay was due to take effect on 15 September 2026. A federal court paused it the day before. Here's what changed, what's on hold, and how to plan either way.
If you have seen headlines about F-1 students losing "duration of status", take a breath. The rule is real, but it is not settled. Here is what changed, what a federal court just paused, and how to plan a US master's around it either way.
What was set to change on 15 September 2026
For decades, F-1 students have been admitted to the US for "duration of status" (D/S), meaning your legal stay lasted as long as you kept full-time enrolment, not a fixed date stamped in your passport. On 17 July 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that would scrap duration of status for F-1, J-1 and I nonimmigrants altogether. Under the new framework, F-1 students would be admitted for a fixed period tied to the length of the programme on Form I-20, capped at four years, plus a 30-day grace period on either side for arrival and departure.
The rule was due to take effect on 15 September 2026, the same week many students would first read about it.
Where things actually stand right now
On 14 September 2026, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the rule from taking effect, following a legal challenge brought by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and a coalition of university and labour groups. For now, duration of status remains in place, and F-1 students are not yet subject to a fixed four-year cap. The government is expected to appeal, so this is genuinely moving. As of writing, confirm the current status directly with USCIS.gov or your school's international student office before you plan around it, since litigation like this can shift within days.
What the rule would do if it survives the appeal
It is worth understanding the substance, because the injunction could be lifted or narrowed at any point.
A fixed stay, not an open-ended one. F-1 students would be admitted for the length of their programme, up to four years from the start date on the I-20, plus 30 days to arrive and 30 days to leave once studies end.
A new Extension of Stay (EOS) filing. Anyone needing more time than their admission period allows would need to file an Extension of Stay application (Form I-539) with USCIS, submit biometrics, and show they remain eligible, rather than simply staying enrolled under D/S as before.
A shorter grace period after graduation. The standard 60-day grace period after completing a programme would shrink to 30 days, brought in line with the J-1 exchange visitor grace period.
Restrictions on changing your mind. Students below graduate level could not transfer schools or change major or academic level during their first year, barring a SEVP-approved exception. Graduate students would face tighter limits still: no change of degree objective at any point in the programme, and no school transfer without SEVP sign-off. DHS has also reserved the right to delay these particular provisions until September 2028.
What this means for OPT and STEM OPT
If you are weighing a US master's partly for the work experience it can unlock afterwards, the rule does not end OPT or STEM OPT, and eligibility is not what it targets. Timing is what would change: the grace period after your programme or after OPT would shorten from 60 to 30 days, and OPT deadlines linked to it are expected to tighten too. Some students may also need to file an Extension of Stay alongside an OPT application, which could add processing time, so it is worth building in a buffer if the rule eventually takes effect.
Planning your master's around an unsettled rule
Keep your I-20 dates and any programme changes documented carefully. Both the current D/S framework and the paused fixed-admission rule depend on accurate SEVIS records.
If you are weighing a change of major or a school transfer once enrolled, it may be worth discussing with your DSO sooner rather than later, in case first-year and graduate-level restrictions eventually apply.
Talk to your Designated School Official (DSO) before assuming either the old or the new regime applies to your specific timeline.
Financing is one part of this planning that does not have to wait on litigation. If you are budgeting for a US master's, checking your eligibility takes about 10 seconds, and you can browse our US study destination page or work through our visa preparation tool alongside your DSO's guidance.*
FAQs
Is duration of status gone for F-1 students right now?
How long would F-1 students be allowed to stay under the new rule, if it takes effect?
What is an Extension of Stay (EOS), and would I need one?
Would OPT and STEM OPT be affected?
Does any of this affect whether I can get a Prodigy Finance loan for a US master's?
A final word
Rules like this can be unsettling right when you are trying to plan the biggest move of your academic life. A sensible response is the same whichever way the case goes: keep your documents current, ask your DSO before you assume anything, and avoid letting an unsettled legal fight put you off applying. If you have questions about financing while all this plays out, chat to us on WhatsApp for answers.*
