4-year fixed stay for F1 students: Immigration attorney says the biggest risk is 'booking a flight home', warns visa holders against traveling outside US

International students in the U.S. on F1 visas are being cautioned against traveling abroad due to an impending rule change by the Donald Trump administration. Immigration attorney Emily Neumann advised that the biggest risk for these students is not a bureaucratic hurdle, but the act of booking a flight home.

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It's booking a flight home

The new regulation will replace the current "duration of status" system with a fixed admission date on a student's I-94 form. This means students will be allowed to stay only for the duration of their courses, typically four years. If they need to remain longer for reasons like Optional Practical Training (OPT), they must seek an extension from the Department of Homeland Security before their authorized stay expires.

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DHS is eliminating "duration of status" for F-1 students and replacing it with a fixed admission date on your I-94. Publication is set for July 17, with an effective date around September 15, 2026

Neumann explained that students already in the U.S. and maintaining their status when the rule takes effect will generally be protected until their program end date, approximately four years later, or until a status violation occurs. However, she stressed that travel would no longer "refresh" their old admission status. After the effective date, students re-entering the U.S. will be admitted with a new fixed-date I-94 and a shorter 30-day departure window, down from the current 60 days.

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If you're already in the US and maintaining status on the effective date, you do NOT need to rush to file anything. You're generally protected until the earliest of your I-20 program end date, four years out (roughly September 15, 2030), or a status violation

The changes will also affect J-1 exchange visitors and journalists with I visas, but international students represent the largest group impacted. Neumann also noted that graduate students may face new restrictions on changing majors or transferring schools, and post-completion OPT could require both an I-539 extension of stay and an I-765 application. The compliance model is shifting from solely relying on Designated School Officials (DSOs) to a dual DSO and USCIS system, requiring students to track their I-94 dates.

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Travel doesn't just "refresh" your old D/S admission anymore. After September 15th, you'll be readmitted with a new fixed-date I-94 with a 30-day departure window instead of 60