The federal government published its final rule on “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and Extension of Stay Procedure” on July 17, 2026. The rule will go into effect on Sept. 15, 2026, and affects the “duration of status” rule (D/S) for international students and scholars.
UWM is reviewing the new regulations, and attorneys with the Universities of Wisconsin are analyzing the changes and will provide guidance to UW campuses in the coming weeks.
Previously, the D/S rule allowed nonimmigrants granted entry into the U.S. in F or J status to remain until they completed their degree or other program of study. Under the previous rule, any changes were reviewed and documented by UWM’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).
With the published rule change, F-1 and J-1 international students and scholars, and their accompanying F-2 and J-2 dependents, will be subject to a fixed end date of lawful stay in the U.S. The fixed end date will be four years or through the program end date listed on the immigration document (I-20/DS-2019), whichever is earlier. Under the new rule, extension requests must be adjudicated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and those applications now involve a fee.
The new rule also makes changes to other immigration regulations, including additional restrictions on the ability to change educational objective degree program and major, or the ability to transfer to another U.S. institution of higher education.
The new process takes effect on Sept. 15, 2026 — 60 days after the July 17 rule publication.