End of Duration of Status Updates

Students and scholars who are not able to complete their program by the AUD will have two options to extend their stay:

1. Apply for an Extension of Stay (EOS) to USCIS with a recommendation from ISS. This includes a fee ($420 currently) and potentially lengthy waiting period. Adjudication of the application will be done by USCIS.
2. Travel outside of the US with an extended Form I-20/DS-2019 from ISS and have a new AUD assigned by CBP upon re-entry. Travel to Mexico or Canada will not extend AUD except for citizens of Mexico or Canada.

Students and scholars who apply for EOS prior to their program end date would be able to continue study and employment, including assistantships, for 240 days while waiting for EOS approval.

Eligibility Note: Application for EOS is allowed only if the student has never engaged in unauthorized employment. It is not mentioned if this would also be a requirement for extended AUD based on travel and re-entry at the US border.

Prior to September 25, 2026, F visa holders were allowed up to 60 days after completion of a degree or Practical Training to depart the US or take other action to extend their legal stay in the US. Beginning September 15, 2026, F visa holders will be allowed up to 30 days after completion of their degree or Practical Training to depart the US or take other action to extend their legal stay in the US. This is accounted for by the way the AUD is assigned for any student who enters the US (new students or current students who depart and return to the US) after September 15, 2026.

Note: J visa holders currently have a 30-day grace period after completion of degree or scholar activity.

Educational Objectives include major, program/degree level, and school of attendance.

Students on the F-1 visa are not eligible to change their major, change their program/degree level, or transfer between schools during their first academic year in F-1 status. An academic year is defined as a fall/spring or spring/fall. UW students who began study in spring 2026 would be eligible to make changes after the fall 2026 semester.

The rule further limits students in a graduate-level program/degree. Students studying in a graduate-level program/degree are not eligible to change major, change program/degree level, or transfer between schools during their program. After completion of their program (graduation) a graduate-level student is eligible to pursue another degree at the same or a different school. Graduate-level at UW would include master’s or doctoral programs, graduate-level certificates, and PharmD and Juris Doctor programs (until/unless further guidance is received from SEVP or USCIS).

Students on the F-1 visa are not eligible to pursue a lower or lateral-level degree than any degree awarded after September 15, 2026. The rule refers to the NCES list of degree levels, but the NCES list is basic and does not include undergraduate vs. graduate-level certificates, language Pathway Programs, PharmD, JD, LLM, etc. programs. More information is needed from SEVP or USCIS on this issue.

Eligibility Note: Change of educational objectives is allowed only if "the student has not been placed on academic probation or school suspension." It is unclear if this means at the time of the change or at any time during the study/program.

Note: F-2 visa holders are allowed to study part-time and are not subject to the limitations on change of major, change of program/degree level, or transfer between schools, as their study is incident to status and is not reflected in their SEVIS immigration record.

The Department of Homeland Security is eliminating the provision that allowed F-1 and J-1 visa holders to be admitted to the US as D/S, rather than a specific end date, on their I-94 entry record. D/S allowed students and scholars to stay until they completed their program or research as long as they maintained their status and filed for extension of their program end date (in the SEVIS immigration system) with their school’s immigration advisors.

Under the new rule, admission to the U.S. for F/J students and scholars now has a fixed expiration date: either the program end date + 30 days or four years + 30 days—whichever is shorter. Extensions will be processed through an application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or by leaving the U.S. and reentering with an I-20 or DS-2019 showing the requested extension of status.

There are additional parts of the rule impacting eligibility of some F-1 students to change major, change program/degree level, or transfer schools. See below for additional information.

Yes. F-1 students engaged in English language training programs (Intensive English Program at UW) are restricted to a 24-month period of admission, plus an additional 30-day period to prepare for departure. Other limitations may exist based on passport expiration date, F-2 dependents who will turn 21 years old before the regular AUD, or others.

Yes. Under the new rule, F and J visa holders inside the U.S. on the rule effective date will have an Admit Until Date (AUD) assigned to them. The AUD should be the end of your program or end date on your I-20 + 60 days, or DS-2019 + 30 days, or work authorization document (EAD) + 60 days, or four years + 60/30 days—whichever is earlier.

Students who enter/reenter the U.S. after the rule effective date can locate their Admit Until Date (AUD) on their Form I-94, “Arrival/Departure Record,” accessible from the Form I-94 website. Students who have not traveled outside the U.S. after the rule effective date can figure their AUD by locating their program end date on their I-20/DS-2019 and adding 60 days for F visa holders, or 30 days for J visa holders. Students approved for an extension of stay or change of status to F-1 can locate their AUD on the Form I-94 attached to the Form I-797A approval notice. The AUD will also be noted in the student’s SEVIS record. ISS can verify the AUD that is noted there for you if necessary.

The rule is prospective (impacting the future), not retrospective. Four years is the maximum length of your admission period going forward, not a cap on how long you can be in F or J status. It may be possible to extend your F or J status beyond four years. See the "Extending Your Status" section of this page for more information. 

Yes. F-2 and J-2 dependents will also receive a fixed period of admission. The period of admission for F-2 and J-2 dependents may not exceed the authorized period of admission for the principal F-1 or J-1 student or scholar. Like F-1 and J-1 students and scholars, dependents will receive an Admit Until Date (AUD) on their Form I-94. F-2 and J-2 dependents will need to apply for an extension of stay to remain in the United States beyond their AUD or depart the US and obtain a new period of admission from U.S. CBP upon reentry.

F-1 students already in the U.S. when the rule takes effect keep the current 60-day F-1 grace period as long as they do not travel outside of the U.S. after the rule becomes effective. New F-1 students, or those who depart and re-enter, the U.S. after the effective date will only receive a 30-day grace period. The J-1 grace period remains 30 days. 

Your academic department, working with ISS, can help you determine if there are justifiable reasons for a program extension. These can include medical or academic reasons or delays in program completion due to a natural disaster, very similar to the reasons that ISS currently requires in order to extend your I-20/DS-2019. Be aware that USCIS may apply stricter standards and use its own discretion when determining whether a program extension is warranted. It is unknown how CBP will interpret the new rule and what reasons they would consider valid for extension upon reentry to the U.S.

To apply for an extension of your F or J immigration status, you will first work with ISS to request and receive an extended Form I-20 or DS-2019. Then you will have two options to extend your stay:

Option 1: Apply to USCIS for an extension of stay either online or by filing the paper Form I-539. Both options will require you to submit the extended I-20 or DS-2019, along with additional documentation. It is likely that you will be required to submit proof of continued funding and transcripts, or proof of employment and salary for those on OPT/STEM OPT, or attend a biometrics appointment. There is a filing fee paid to USCIS with this option.

Option 2: Travel outside of the U.S. and reenter using the extended I-20 or DS-2019. When you reenter, you must show the extended form and be approved for reentry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). You may be asked to present additional documents such as proof of funding and transcripts or proof of employment and salary for those on OPT/STEM OPT. There is no fee to extend with this option.

When the rule goes into effect, specific cases should provide more clarity about how the two options are working in practice. ISS will be able to discuss pros and cons of each option but will not be able to recommend which option you should choose.

Students applying for an extension of stay (EOS) to USCIS must submit the I-539 (online or by mail) before their AUD. It is recommended that you apply for an EOS 180 days before your AUD.

ISS will be able to give general information about the Form I-539 and suggest documentation for you to include with your application. ISS will post information about the documentation and process, but cannot complete the forms or review them for accuracy for you. You may contact an immigration attorney with appropriate immigration status knowledge for legal guidance on the extension process.

Students who submit an ESO to USCIS while inside the U.S. can still travel internationally, but there is some risk involved. If you return before the EOS is approved, but after your AUD, CBP may choose to extend your status to the updated program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019. If they do so, your EOS application will be considered abandoned, and your new AUD will be the date assigned by CBP that appears on your I-94. If CBP chooses not to extend your status, you will be denied entry to the U.S.

If you return to the U.S. before the EOS is approved, and before your AUD, CBP may choose to extend your status to the updated program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019. If they do so, your EOS application will be considered abandoned, and your new AUD will be the date assigned by CBP that appears on your I-94. If CBP chooses not to extend your status, the EOS application will continue to be processed by USCIS.

Note that if you depart the US after submitting your EOS application to USCIS and then fail to appear for a biometrics appointment, your EOS application may be considered abandoned and you would have to receive an extension of stay from CBP upon reentry if you are past your AUD, or apply again to USCIS for an EOS if CBP allows you to reenter the US with time remaining before your previous AUD.

No. Be aware that reentry is not guaranteed, as always. You will be subject to all reentry checks and requirements, and the CBP officer will make the decision to extend your stay at that time or not. Remember that you must have a valid visa to ask for reentry to the US. Visa wait times are very lengthy in many countries, and students or scholars whose country is on the list of 39 countries with a US entry ban would not be able to apply for a new visa and return to the U.S. at this time (see partial and full bans for Travel Ban 1 and Travel Ban 2 on NAFSA’s Quick-Reference Country Restriction Table).

Yes, you can work for up to 240 days, as long as your I-539 was received by USCIS before your academic program end date (PED) listed on your I-20 or DS-2019. This applies to on-campus work, including graduate assistantships, and CPT.  Those on OPT who have applied for STEM OPT may continue working up to 180 days while waiting for the STEM OPT approval per the current and continuing OPT/STEM OPT rules as long as the STEM OPT application and EOS application are submitted no later than the end date of the post-completion OPT (as printed on the EAD).

People in dependent visa statuses (F-2 and J-2) will also need to apply for extensions. Your dependents can be included in your I-539 extension filings and should not have to pay separate filing fees if their application accompanies yours. This requires you to submit a paper application to USCIS. Travel and reentry to the U.S. may be an option for F-2 and J-2 dependents as well.

If you cannot complete your program within four years due to poor academic performance, failing classes, or otherwise failing to make normal academic progress, USCIS can deny an extension request. If the person has exceeded the normally allowed time for an academic program, an extension also might be denied. Most bachelor’s and doctoral programs at UW take longer than four years to complete. It is unknown if this will be considered by USCIS for an extension of stay.

Proof of sufficient financial resources for the additional time will also be required, and an application could be denied if funding is deemed insufficient. USCIS may also review cases for possible fraud issues and violations of required nonimmigrant intent (F and J visa holders must maintain the intention of returning to their home country).

If USCIS denies an extension application, inform ISS immediately. ISS will provide as much information as we are able to provide for you. You may also choose to consult an immigration attorney about options available to you. 

There is no grace period after denial of an extension if you have already passed your AUD. Remaining in the U.S. after an extension denial may be a violation of immigration regulations that can lead to serious consequences due to unlawful presence. If you do not want to leave the US immediately after a denial, ISS would strongly suggest that you contact an immigration attorney for consultation.

Yes. Students who complete their program (graduate) in less than one year may transfer to another school to begin a program of study at a higher educational level.

No. F and J students are only permitted to move to a higher degree level than any degree completed after the new rule goes into effect. Pursuing another degree at the same or lower level is not allowed, although the rule notes some ambiguity around how degree levels are defined. Programs such as JD, LLM, and language Pathway Programs, and others are not defined in the current structure.

Yes. Changing your academic level to a higher degree program will require applying for an extension of your status. 

If you are in the U.S. and have not traveled outside the U.S. after the rule’s effective date and apply for J-1 Academic Training by March 17, 2027, you do not need to file for an extension. If you have traveled outside the U.S. and reentered after the rule's effective date, or will not apply before March 17, 2027, you will be required to file the I-539 to extend your status for the academic training period.