The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has published a final rule eliminating the "duration of status" system for international students, setting a fixed admission period of up to four years for F-1 and J-1 visa holders. The rule takes effect September 15.

Under the current system, students on F-1 and J-1 visas can generally remain in the U.S. for as long as they maintain their immigration status and make progress toward completing their program. An F-1 visa, the most common type, serves students in full-time academic programs; a J-1 visa generally covers short-term exchange programs or students funded by an outside source.

The new rule changes three key elements of student immigration:

1. Fixed admission periods. Visas will carry fixed time limits based on the length of a student's academic program, capped at four years. Students in programs running longer must request an extension of stay from the federal government.
2. Shorter grace period. The F-1 grace period — the window graduates have to leave the country or change status after finishing their studies — drops from 60 days to 30 days.
3. Restricted program changes. Students cannot "change their educational objectives," such as switching majors or transferring schools, during the first year of undergraduate studies or at any point during graduate studies.

Who is affected

The rule applies to international students at universities across the country. Northwestern University alone hosts around 9,500 international students from more than 120 countries. Nationwide, U.S. institutions hosted nearly 1.2 million international students in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to the 2025 Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education.

Northwestern's Office of International Student and Scholar Services has posted a webpage outlining the rule. Provost Erik Luijten wrote in a July 24 email to the university community that Northwestern has assembled a team "to gather information from official sources, internal stakeholders, peers and partner organizations and address the rule's impacts on our current and future students and scholars as well as our institutional operations."

The extension process

Graduate students face the greatest uncertainty because doctoral programs routinely exceed four years. To extend their stay, students must file Form I-539 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with a recommendation from their university. The application costs between $420 and $470 and may require biometric data collection.

Jorge Coronado, director of Northwestern's Latin American and Caribbean Studies program, said most of his program's graduate students take six or seven years to complete their degrees. At least 80% of the graduate students in his department are international.

"The four-year limit is completely impractical for graduate students," Coronado said.

Jiayu Fu, a rising fifth-year doctoral student in biological sciences from China, said she has decided not to travel outside the U.S. after September 15. With about a year left in her program, she feels fortunate to be nearing the end of her studies.

Yumo Chen, a rising second-year doctoral student in chemistry from China, expects to need an extension; his program takes an average of five years to complete. He said he entered the program already prepared not to visit home for at least five years to reduce risk and uncertainty.

"The policy reflects a certain attitude the government has toward international students," Chen said in an interview translated from Mandarin. "Given that, choosing to leave the U.S. and then return would be an added uncertainty."

Enrollment and economic impact

Prospective applicants are already raising concerns. Yejin Sohn, co-chair of the University of Chicago's International Graduate Student Advisory Board, said applicants have asked her whether they can realistically finish their degree programs.

"Especially for Ph.D. students who tend to be in their program longer than four years, that brings up the question, 'Am I successful in finishing my program? Is this going to be a problem?'" said Sohn, who came to the U.S. from Korea in 2018.

International graduate enrollment declined by 17% between fall 2024 and fall 2025, according to the Institute of International Education. A November analysis by the Association of Foreign Educators and JB International estimated that the fall 2025 decline could translate into over $1 billion in lost revenue and more than 23,000 fewer jobs in the American economy.

Coronado said he has "no doubt" his program will lose high-quality graduate applicants worried about studying in the U.S.

"If I were a prospective student, I'd be really wary," he said. "I would also think, 'Well, is there a program in Europe or somewhere else in Latin America that I can go to? Or Canada? Or the UK?'"

Effects on research

Coronado described the rule as part of a "continuing attack on higher education." Field and archival research in Latin America is a standard part of his program, but he has advised his students against field research given the risks of leaving and re-entering the country.

"As a professor who directs dissertations and directs research, I've never in my career been put in a position of having to warn students about traveling to archives and doing field research," he said. "This is the first time that's ever happened."

Chen said he has grown used to obstacles facing international students, including stricter visa application processes and research funding cuts. He originally planned to study carbon dioxide reduction but, after cuts in late 2025, ended up in a different lab researching the biodegradation of plastics.

"I've gotten used to accepting things that are not in my control, so I might as well treat it as a chance to improve myself," he said.

Students and staff are asking universities to respond with clearer guidance. Fu called for real-time support such as Zoom seminars and information sessions, resources tailored to different degree levels, and better training for staff who work with international students.

Genesis Hernandez Cabrera, a Northwestern sophomore and U.S. citizen, noted that international students make up 12% of undergraduate enrollment and urged the wider campus community to engage with the policy even where it does not directly affect them.

"Even if they're small," she said, "I don't feel like that just gives everyone else a right to ignore their community and not support them."

The final rule is published in the Federal Register; affected students should consult their university's international office and USCIS guidance for case-specific questions.