United States caps F, J and I visa stays at 4 years and 240 days

The United States finalized a rule ending "duration of status" for F, J and I visa holders, replacing open-ended stays with fixed admission periods and formal extension filings.

From open-ended stays to date-certain I-94s

For decades, F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors and I-visa foreign media stayed in the country on "duration of status," meaning their I-94 carried no fixed end date so long as they kept up their program or assignment. The final rule scheduled for Federal Register publication on July 17, 2026 scraps that framework and admits these nonimmigrants for date-certain periods tied to their I-20, DS-2019 or media assignment, Envoy Global reported.

The new caps: F-1 and J-1 holders get admissions matching program length up to a four-year maximum and I-visa journalists get up to 240 days per admission, with extensions capped at another 240 days. The rule takes effect 60 days after publication, roughly mid-September 2026, subject to congressional review.

What current holders lose

The F-1 grace period after program completion drops from 60 days to 30 days. J-1 grace stays at 30 days. Unlawful presence now begins the day after the I-94 end date if no extension is approved, per VisaVerge's analysis, which matters because unlawful presence triggers three- and 10-year reentry bars.

Anyone already in the country under D/S will be automatically converted to a fixed end date matching their current I-20, DS-2019 or EAD expiration, not to exceed four years from the effective date, plus the applicable grace period.

Extensions now go through USCIS

The biggest procedural shift: staying past the fixed date requires a formal Extension of Stay application filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, not just a SEVIS update from a designated school official. That adds filing fees, processing time and the risk of denial to any PhD candidate, postdoc, long-term researcher or foreign correspondent whose work runs past four years.

Anyone whose program legitimately exceeds four years, common for doctoral students and STEM OPT participants, should plan to file an EOS well before the I-94 date and budget for USCIS fees and adjudication delays that the old D/S regime avoided entirely. Fall 2026 admits will be the first cohort processed under the new framework from day one; continuing students convert as their existing program dates run out, according to sector guidance on studying and working in the United States.