What's next

What has happened so far

August 18, 2026 - Injunction sought to halt implementation of the rule - set to take effect on September 15, 2026. A lawsuit was filed on August 18, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The suit challenges the rule under the Administrative Procedures Act. ISSS will be monitoring the progress of the lawsuit. The entire filing is available here.
July 17, 2026 Final rule published
DHS published the final rule in the Federal Register. The rule has not yet taken effect.
June 18, 2026 OMB review completed
OMB/OIRA completed its review and returned the final rule to DHS.
May 5, 2026 Final rule submitted to OMB
DHS completed its review of comments and submitted the final rule to OMB/OIRA for review.
Sept. 29, 2025 Public comment period closed
The public comment period ended, and DHS began reviewing submitted comments.
Aug. 28, 2025 Proposed rule published
DHS proposed replacing Duration of Status with fixed admission periods.

Now - ISSS reviews the final rule
ISSS is reviewing the final rule to understand the impact for F-1 and J-1 students/scholars, dependents, and campus partners. Website information may change as ISSS completes this review.
Next - ISSS communicates initial understanding of guidance
ISSS will share important updates with students/scholars and campus partners, including what students should do before the rule takes effect.
August 2026 - ISSS hosts D/S webinars. Details and registration information will be emailed
Before Sept. 15, 2026 - ISSS updates website and resources
ISSS will update website information, advising materials, and related resources to reflect the final rule and any DHS implementation guidance.
Sept. 15, 2026 - Final rule scheduled to take effect
The rule is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026, unless DHS publishes a notice changing the effective date or terminating the rule after congressional review.