Updated July 22, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on July 17, 2026, an important rule change to the F-1 and J-1 visa regulations. The FAQs below explain the rule changes based on currently available information.\u00a0The Office of Global Engagement will continue to update this page as more information and guidance becomes available. Please continue to check this page for updated information throughout the summer and into the fall semester.<\/strong><\/p>\n How does the end of Duration of Status impact my F-1 or J-1 status?\u00a0<\/strong> When will this rule change take effect?<\/strong> I am a current international student who was admitted for Duration of Status (D\/S) upon my most recent arrival in the United States. How does this affect me?\u00a0<\/strong> I am a current international student who was admitted for Duration of Status (D\/S) upon my most recent arrival in the United States. What do I need to do on September 15, 2026?<\/strong> I am a doctoral student and I will need more than four years to complete my program of study. If I am admitted to the United States in F-1 status for only four years, what are my options?\u00a0<\/strong> I successfully filed my Extension of Stay (Form I-539) prior to the Program End Date on my Form I-20. However, my extension request is still pending with USCIS. What does this mean for my F-1 status?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> I have an initial Form I-20 for the Fall 2026 semester. When is the earliest that I can enter the United States with my F-1 visa and Form I-20?<\/strong> I am a current international student who was admitted for Duration of Status (D\/S) upon my most recent arrival in the United States and will travel and return after September 15, 2026. What will happen to my I-94?<\/strong> Under the new rules, how long is my Grace Period at the conclusion of my degree program?\u00a0<\/strong> Am I eligible to transfer schools?<\/strong> Am I eligible to change my program of study (major)?<\/strong> I will graduate from Montclair in May 2027 and plan to transfer to a new university to continue my education. What does the transfer process consist of?\u00a0<\/strong> I will graduate from Montclair in May 2027 with a master\u2019s degree and plan to transfer to a new university for Fall 2027 to pursue a second master\u2019s degree in a different discipline. What does the transfer process look like?\u00a0<\/strong> I will graduate from Montclair in December 2026 and plan to apply for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) during the Fall 2026 semester. What does the application process consist of?<\/strong> IMPORTANT<\/strong>: Note that if you depart the country and return on or after September 15, 2026, you are no longer included in the Transition Provisions and would be required to also apply for an Extension of Stay when you submit your OPT application to USCIS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n I am in F-1 status and my spouse is here as my F-2 dependent. I need to apply for an Extension of Stay for one additional semester to complete my program of study and graduate. Does my spouse need to submit a separate Extension of Stay request to extend her F-2 status?\u00a0<\/strong> I have an initial Form DS-2019 for the Fall 2026 semester. When is the earliest that I can enter the United States with my J-1 visa and Form DS-2019?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> I am a J-1 student and would like to apply for pre-completion Academic Training. Do I need to apply to USCIS and complete the Form I-539?\u00a0<\/strong> I am a J-1 student and would like to apply for post-completion Academic Training. Do I need to apply to USCIS and complete the Form I-539?\u00a0<\/strong> I am an international exchange student in J-1 status and would like to apply to extend my stay at Montclair for one more semester. How can I apply for the extension?\u00a0<\/strong> I am a J-1 Research Scholar and would like to extend my stay within the allotted 5-year maximum period. What do I need to know about the DS-2019 extension process under the new rule?\u00a0<\/strong> <\/p>\n President Trump issued a<\/span> new presidential proclamation<\/span><\/a> on December 16, 2025, that expands on a proclamation issued in June 2025. The new proclamation suspends visa issuance for some countries, including F and J visas. The countries affected by the two proclamations:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Palestinian Authority Travel Documents, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen.<\/span><\/p>\n Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.<\/span><\/p>\n The new travel ban will be in effect as of 12:01am EST on January 1, 2026, and applies to nationals of countries listed above who:<\/span><\/p>\n If you are a current student,<\/strong> the Office of Global Engagement (OGE) <\/span>strongly recommends that you do not travel outside<\/span><\/em> of the United States. Please note that entry to the US is at the discretion of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the University cannot interfere in their decision. As an important reminder, you are permitted to remain in the US in F-1 status with an expired F-1 visa as long as your Form I-20 is valid. This also applies to recent graduates who are currently working under OPT authorization. Contact us by email at <\/span>oge@montclair.edu<\/span><\/a> or phone at +1-<\/span>973-655-6862 <\/span>if you have any questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nSince the early 1990s, international students and scholars in F-1 and J-1 status have been admitted to the United States for Duration of Status,<\/em> which meant that you could remain in the United States as long as you were actively maintaining your student status. Effective September 15, 2026, international students and scholars in F-1 & J-1 status will be admitted to the US only until the program end date on their Form I-20, Form DS-2019 or Employment Authorization Document (EAD), not to exceed four years, plus a 30-day grace period.<\/p>\n
\nThe new rule was published in the Federal Register<\/a> on July 17, 2026, and will take effect on September 15, 2026.<\/p>\n
\nEffective September 15, 2026, your admission to the United States will be transitioned from Duration of Status (D\/S) to a fixed date, which would be the Program End Date on your Form I-20, Form DS-2019, or EAD, or four years from the effective date of the rule change, whichever is shorter, plus 60 days for F-1 visa holders and 30 days for J-1 students and scholars.<\/p>\n
\nYou do not need to take immediate action or apply for a new I-94. If you exit the United States and return on or after September 15, 2026, please know that you will be admitted for a fixed admission period that will match the program end date on your Form I-20, plus 30 days. If you will need additional time to complete your program of study, you will need to apply for an Extension of Stay through USCIS by submitting the Form I-539, paying the filing fee, and supporting documentation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\nF-1 Students<\/h2>\n
\nYou will need to apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting a Form I-539, along with supporting documents and the required filing fee, to USCIS prior to the end of your admission period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>In this case, you are considered to be in a period of authorized stay until USCIS adjudicates your Extension of Stay request. In addition, your on-campus employment authorization as an F-1 student continues while your request is pending. The automatic extension of your on-campus employment authorization may not exceed 240 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\n<\/span>New students are still permitted to enter the United States up to 30 days before the Program Start Date on their I-20. For Fall 2026, the earliest that you can enter the United States in F-1 status is July 29, 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nUpon return to the United States, you will receive a new I-94 with a fixed date of admission, which will be the program end date on your I-20, plus 30 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nF-1 students who enter the United States on or after September 15, 2026 will have a 30-day grace period after the program end date on your Form I-20.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\nUnder the new rules, there are restrictions on transferring to a new institution. Undergraduate students must be enrolled at the school that issued their I-20 for at least one academic year before they become eligible to transfer to a new school. Graduate students may only be eligible for a transfer if the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) approves an exception on a case-by-case basis.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nUndergraduate students are only eligible to change their major of study after completing one year of full-time study. Graduate students are not permitted to change their major or program of study at any point during their program.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe transfer process now involves two steps. First, you will need to initiate the transfer request with OGE. Second, you will need to formally apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting an updated I-20, Form I-539 (along with the filing fee), and supporting documentation to USCIS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nLateral transfers (e.g. master\u2019s degree to master\u2019s degree) or reverse matriculation (e.g. master\u2019s degree to bachelor\u2019s degree) are prohibited under the new rules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\nIf you are in the United States on September 15, 2026, and were admitted for Duration of Status (D\/S) on your most recent I-94, you are included in the six-month Transition Provisions that affect OPT. In this case, you are not required to submit an Extension of Stay request to USCIS as part of your OPT application. Attend an OPT Workshop to learn more about OPT eligibility requirements and the application process.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nYou can include your dependent spouse as part of your Form I-539 Extension of Stay. Your spouse should file a Form I-539A as part of your Extension of Stay request. Your spouse would not need to pay a separate filing fee with the Form I-539A. The Extension of Stay for your F-2 dependent will not exceed your authorized admission period as the F-1 student. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\nJ-1 Students and Scholars<\/h2>\n
\n<\/span>New students are still permitted to enter the United States up to 30 days before the Program Start Date on their DS-2019. For Fall 2026, the earliest that you can enter the United States in J-1 status is July 29, 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\nPre-completion Academic Training takes place during your program and should be completed before the Program End Date on your DS-2019. For this reason, you do not need to submit a Form I-539 to USCIS to apply for Academic Training. Meet with your OGE advisor to discuss the pre-completion Academic Training process.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPost-completion Academic Training takes place after you complete your studies. This requires an extension to your DS-2019 and therefore you will also need to apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting a Form I-539 to USCIS to formally extend your stay in J-1 status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\nThis is a multistep process.<\/span> First, receive approval from your advisor in the International Academic Initiatives Office. Second, request the extension to your DS-2019 through the MyGlobal Portal. Third, once you have your updated DS-2019, apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting the Form I-539, along with the filing fee and supporting documentation, to USCIS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nEffective September 15, 2026, you are admitted until the program end date on your DS-2019, not to exceed four years, plus a 30-day grace period. If you intend to continue your research program beyond the program end date on your DS-2019, you will need to apply for an Extension of Stay with USCIS before your program end date. Schedule an appointment with an OGE advisor to discuss the process in more detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\nPrevious Announcements<\/h1>\n
Updated December 18, 2025<\/em><\/h5>\n
Full travel ban (entry suspended for immigrants and nonimmigrants, including F and J visas)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Partial travel ban (entry suspended) for F and J visas<\/span><\/h4>\n
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What does this ban mean for you?<\/h4>\n