Major changes affecting F-1 international students and J-1 exchange visitors are set to take effect on September 15, 2026. The new rule replaces Duration of Status (D/S) with fixed periods of admission, introduces an “Admit Until Date,” reduces the F-1 grace period from 60 to 30 days, and creates new requirements for...
Category: I VISA: Foreign Media Representatives
Important Update for F-1 Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors: DHS Fixed-Period Admission Rule Takes Effect September 15, 2026
Back in July, we sent an initial alert letting you know that DHS had finalized this rule (you can revisit our original post, “It's Final: DHS Ends Duration of Status for F, J, and I Visa Holders,” here). Since then, several important developments have occurred, including a legal challenge to the...
New DHS Rule Also Changes How Family Members’ Visa Extensions Are Approved
When DHS finalized its rule replacing duration of status with fixed admission periods for F, J, and I nonimmigrants, most of the attention went to the individual timelines: the four-year cap, the shortened 30-day grace period for F-1 students, and the new requirement to file for an extension of stay directly with...
It’s Final: DHS Ends Duration of Status for F, J, and I Visa Holders
DHS has published a final rule ending duration of status, D/S, for F academic students, J exchange visitors, and I representatives of foreign information media. This moves the change from proposal to reality. The rule was published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2026, and takes effect 60 days later, on September 15, unless Congress...
DHS Proposes Fixed Admission Periods for F, J, and I Visa Holders
On August 28, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that could significantly reshape the way F-1 academic students, J-1 exchange visitors, and I-visa foreign media representatives are admitted to the United States.
If finalized, this rule would replace the long-standing practice...
Can I Visa Holders Pursue a Green Card? What Foreign Media Professionals Should Know
The I visa is designed specifically for representatives of foreign media — including journalists, reporters, film crews, and editors — who are coming to the United States to engage in their profession. While the I visa offers a practical way for foreign media professionals to live and work in the U.S. temporarily,...
USCIS NOW ACCEPTING COPIES OF NEGATIVE O VISA CONSULTATIONS DIRECTLY FROM LABOR UNIONS.
A maioria dos americanos considera que o casamento com um cidadão americano e outras relações familiares dão direito ao imigrante para residência permanente (um “green card”), mas há barreiras que muitas vezes impedem ou atrasam esses membros familiares de se tornarem residentes permanentes legalizados, mesmo que eles ja estejam nos Estados Unidos. Entre...