Harvard University is advising international students and scholars to consider being in the United States before September15, when a sweeping Department of Homeland Security rule is scheduled to replace the long-standing “duration of status” system with fixed periods of admission for F-1 and J-1 visa holders.
Other universities have issued similar warnings. North Carolina State University, for example, says travel outside the US on or after September 15 can remove students from the transition arrangements and place them under the new fixed-date framework.
Students who expect to need more time for their degree, OPT or STEM OPT should also understand how the new extension process could affect them. University guidance indicates that travel after Sept. The changes are important for Indian students as those planning to travel to India or elsewhere around the September transition should check their individual I-20, visa and I-94 status and consult their university’s international office before leaving the US. 15 can change which transition provisions apply, making the timing of international travel an important consideration.
Under the current framework, an F-1 student admitted for D/S can generally remain in the country while maintaining the requirements of the program. Beginning Sept.
15, new admissions will instead carry a fixed “Admit Until Date.”
