US Ends Open-Ended Student Visa Stay From September 15: What Indian Students Need To Know As Harvard, Columbia Issue Alerts
The US has ended 'duration of status' for F-1 and J-1 students from September 15, replacing it with a four-year admission cap and stricter extension rules. Top universities issued compliance guidance, with heavy impact expected on Indian students, the largest international student group in the US.
A major overhaul to the United States student visa framework takes effect on September 15, formally ending the long-standing 'duration of status' policy for most F-1 and J-1 nonimmigrants and replacing it with a fixed period of admission. The shift caps initial entry at a maximum of four years and introduces stricter extension and departure requirements, prompting top American universities, including Harvard, Columbia, Yale and Stanford, to issue urgent compliance guidance for international scholars. Under the outgoing framework, international students entering on F-1 status were routinely admitted under a Duration of Status stamp, allowing them to remain in the country for as long as they stayed enrolled and maintained academic progress, regardless of how many years their degree required.
Shift To Fixed Admission And Extension Rules
Under the Department of Homeland Security's updated policy, individuals entering or re-entering the country on or after September 15 will receive a specific departure date on their Form I-94 arrival record. Admissions will generally be limited to the program duration listed on Form I-20 or DS-2019, capped at a hard maximum of four years, whichever is shorter. Scholars whose programs run longer than four years, such as doctoral candidates or dual-degree students, will need to formally petition US Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension of stay by demonstrating compelling reasons. H-1B Visa: US Proposes Ending 60-Day Grace Period After Job Loss.
University advisers have noted that extension applications filed on time and left pending can provide an automatic 240-day buffer of authorised stay while awaiting a decision. The departure window following programme completion has also been shortened, dropping from the standard 60 days to 30 days for those admitted under the new fixed timeline.
Top Universities Issue Directives
Leading academic institutions across the US have published advisory notices flagging operational hurdles for travel, post-graduate training and visa documentation. Harvard University's International Office has alerted students that those transitioning to post-completion Optional Practical Training after mid-March 2027 may need to submit Form I-539 concurrently with their Form I-765 employment authorisation filing. Columbia University and Yale's Office of International Students and Scholars have reiterated that arriving nonimmigrants will no longer see the open-ended D/S notation, while Brown University and Stanford have urged students to factor in potential USCIS processing backlogs when planning their degree and post-graduation timelines. US Visa Crackdown Spreads to Tech Firms: Cognizant, Cloudera Face Green-Card Freeze Amid Visa Fraud Probe.
Significant Impact On Indian Students
The policy shift carries heavy weight for Indian nationals, who represent the single largest contingent of international students in the United States. Open Doors data recorded 363,019 Indian students enrolled across US institutions during the 2024-25 academic year, marking a 10 percent year-over-year increase. Because Indian scholars heavily populate multi-year master's, STEM and PhD tracks, foreign student offices are recommending a set of immediate steps for them.
Students have been advised to cross-reference expiration dates on their Form I-20 or DS-2019 against the electronic I-94 arrival record immediately after any international travel, and to plan trips carefully, since those departing or re-entering the US near the September 15 cutoff must verify their re-entry stamp covers their remaining coursework. Advisers have also flagged that the shift from full-time studies to post-completion OPT will require earlier filing, given the shorter 30-day post-programme departure window, to avoid falling out of status.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2026 01:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
