What is Duration of Status?
When an F or J international student, exchange visitor, or dependent arrives in the United States, they must present their immigration documents to be cleared for entry by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the port of entry. The CBP officer assesses the eligibility of the individual to enter and issues an I-94 to document the entry. Since the early 1990s, CBP has issued the I-94 indicating that the F-1 and J-1 visa holders are admitted for a period known as “duration of status” (D/S). Unlike most other nonimmigrants who are admitted with an exact date of expiration of legal immigration status, D/S allows F students and J exchange visitors to remain in the country as long as they maintain their I-20 and DS-2019 forms and are making normal progress towards completing their academic or research objectives or are engaging in practical training.
In what stage is the rule?
The proposed rule was published August 28, 2025. Public comments were accepted on the rule through September 29, 2025. The public comments were then reviewed by DHS and the final rule was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review on May 5, 2026. The final rule was published on July 17, 2026 and will go into effect on September 15, 2026.
OIE is working with campus partners to analyze the rule and develop guidance. OIE will publish the most up-to-date information here on this page. In the meantime, you can find the final rule here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/17/2026-14439/establishing-a-fixed-time-period-of-admission-and-an-extension-of-stay-procedure-for-nonimmigrant?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov. You can also find an overview and summary from the Department of Homeland Security's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) within the Elimination of Duration of Status Factsheet and Elimination of Duration of Status Frequently Asked Questions.
What can I do now?
- Review your I-20 form or DS-2019 form. If changes are required, submit them to OIE by August 24, 2026, to ensure OIE has enough time to process the update request prior to the new rule taking effect on September 15, 2026.
- Degree Level: Ensure that the degree level on your I-20 form aligns with your degree plans for fall term. Submit the Change of Level e-form in iStart to request the update from OIE.
- CIP Code: Ensure that your priority 1 major aligns with the correct CIP code assignment on your I-20/DS-2019 form. Review Georgia Tech's degree program list webpage. You will find that the first 6 digits of the listed numerical CIP code match the numerical code that is listed in the major field on the I-20/DS-2019 form. It is the first 6 digits of the code that need to match, not the name of the CIP code category and the name of the degree program at GT. Submit the Change of Major e-form in iStart to request the update from OIE.
- Program End Date: Check the program end date listed on your most recently issued I-20/DS-2019 form. If you know that you will require additional time to complete your degree program requirements or program objectives, move forward with connecting with your department and complete a program extension request in iStart.
- If you are finishing degree program requirements this summer and intend to pursue OPT, move forward with requesting your OPT recommendation from OIE. Visit OIE's OPT Website to view our Virtual OPT Workshop, information on important timing considerations, eligibility considerations, and application instructions.
- If you have plans to transfer to a new university/school and have obtained your admission, move forward with requesting the transfer of your immigration record. More information about transferring your SEVIS record can be found on OIE's website.
- As you wait for additional guidance, we realize these changes may create uncertainty. We want to remind you that Georgia Tech has several resources and campus partners that can assist you during this time: https://studentlife.gatech.edu/news/coping-uncertainty. For a comprehensive list and summary of these resources, please visit our Fill Your Cup student resource webpage: https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/isss/fillyourcup. J-1 scholars and affiliates are encouraged to visit this webpage for wellness resources: https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/exchange-visitors-wellness-resources.