The information below addresses frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the new federal fixed period of admission rule. Students can seek further assistance with these or other questions by contacting ISSS at intl@uoregon.edu or call 541-346-3206.
Group 1: New and Continuing international students Entering the U.S. Before September 15, 2026
For continuing, newly admitted, reentry, or readmitted students entering the U.S. before September 15, 2026.
Q1: I have an active "D/S" I-94 record from my most recent entry, but I am traveling abroad. What will happen when I return?
A1: If you exit the U.S. before Sept. 15, 2026 and subsequently reenter the U.S. before Sept. 15, 2026, your updated I-94 record should reflect an Admit Until Date (AUD) of "D/S". The next time you return to the U.S. and clear a Port of Entry after Sep. 15, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue you a new electronic I-94 record displaying a date-specific AUD. This date will match your current Form I-20 or DS-2019 program end date or four years from this port of entry date (whichever is shorter, plus an additional 30-day, post-completion "grace" period.
Q2: I am a new UO student, entering the U.S. for the first time before Sept 15. Your I-94 record should reflect an Admit Until Date (AUD) of "D/S".
A2: Your I-94 record should reflect an Admit Until Date (AUD) of "D/S". The next time you return to the U.S. and clear a Port of Entry after Sep. 15, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue you a new electronic I-94 record displaying a date-specific AUD. This date will match your current Form I-20 or DS-2019 program end date or four years from this port of entry date (whichever is shorter, plus an additional 30-day, post-completion "grace" period.
Q3: What should I do immediately after entering/reentering the U.S.?
A3: You must check the official CBP I-94/I-95 portal within 24 hours of every entry to retrieve and review your electronic I-94 record. If the "Admit Until Date" (AUD) does not align with your I-20 or DS-2019 timeline (plus the 30-day grace period), contact ISSS immediately to request a CBP Deferred Inspection correction. Leaving an incorrect AUD uncorrected on your I-94 record could cause you to automatically accrue severe unlawful presence penalties.
Q4: I am a graduate student returning from abroad. Can I still change my research track or major?
A4: After Sept. 15, 2026, no. Because mid-program changes and transfers are strictly banned for graduate students under this rule, you cannot utilize travel to "reset" or alter your major field of study. Any formal change to the numeric CIP code on your Form I-20 or DS-2019, or other change in degree objective is prohibited from within the U.S. or upon reentry unless you receive DHS approval.
Group 2: New and Continuing international students Entering the U.S. After September 15, 2026
For newly admitted, reentry or readmitted students traveling to the U.S. to begin a new academic program on or after Sept. 15, 2026.
Q1: I will soon be entering the U.S. for the first time as a UO student, or to resume my academic program after a leave of absence. How long will I be allowed to stay?
A1: Under the new rule, if you enter the U.S. on or after Sept. 15, 2026, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will assign you a strict calendar date known as a fixed period of admission. Your authorized period of stay in the U.S. will be capped at either your academic program length (as indicated on your Form I-20 or DS-2019) or a maximum of four (4) years, whichever is shorter, plus a 30-day "grace" period.
Q2: What happens if my studies take longer than four years (e.g., a PhD)?
A2: If your program is likely to exceed the four-year cap, you will be required to execute a multi-step extension process.
- First, you must request an updated I-20 or DS-2019 from ISSS recommending an extension of your program end date.
- Second, you must file a formal I-539 Application to Extend Nonimmigrant Status (EOS) directly with USCIS and pay the required government filing fee. Your fixed period of admission is not legally extended until USCIS formally approves this application. However, you are permitted to remain in the U.S. and continue to pursue your educational objectives so long as your I-539 application is pending with USCIS.
Q3: Can I change my major or transfer schools during my first year?
A3: The new rule imposes absolute limits based on your original educational objectives to ensure you adhere to the specific "educational objective" for which your visa was issued:
- Undergraduate students (Bachelors level): On or after Sept. 15, 2026, you will face a first-year curricular lock. You are prohibited from changing your major field of study, altering your core educational objectives, or transferring your SEVIS record to another U.S. institution during your first full academic year (two full semesters, summer semesters do not count). Exceptions are extremely rare and require formal review by DHS.
- Graduate and professional students (masters, professional, PhD): Beginning on or after Sept. 15, 2026, you are legally locked into your original educational objectives for the entire duration of your program. You are strictly prohibited from changing majors, changing specific academic programs, or transferring to another U.S. institution mid-program at any point during your studies unless you receive DHS approval.
Group 3: Continuing international students (remaining in the U.S.)
For currently enrolled students who remain in the U.S. during the period of rule transition.
Q1: I am currently in the U.S. and my I-94 record indicates my Admit Until Date (AUD) is valid for "D/S," how do I know when my status expires?
A1: If your current I-94 record indicates "D/S", beginning Sept. 15, 2026 you must apply the manual calculation rule. This means the federal government considers you to have a xixed period of admission: your legal status will expire exactly 30 days after the program end date indicated on your current Form I-20 or DS-2019 or four years from the effective date of the rule (plus 30 days), whichever is less, regardless of what text is printed on your I-94 record. Your I-20 or DS-2019 is the definitive clock regulating your authorized period of stay.
If the Program End Date (PED) on your current I-20 or DS-2019 does not give you enough time to complete your degree requirements, you should take immediate action. By acting before September 15, 2026 and submitting your PED extension request to ISSS, UO can process your authorized period of stay internally. If you do not submit a PED extension request to ISSS by September 15, 2026, you will be subject to the new federal rules requiring you to file an I-539 application directly with USCIS and pay the government filing fees.
Q2: What are the internal ISSS deadlines if I need a program end date extension?
A2: Maintaining your status is your personal responsibility; you should monitor your program's end date every term. Beginning Sept. 15, 2026, if you have a compelling academic or documented medical reason for a delay in the time needed to complete your academic program your next step is to navigate the ISSS 180/30 Day Processing Pipeline:
- If you submit your program extension request to ISSS before September 15, 2026, ISS will process an internal program end date and fixed period of admission extension.
- Beginning September 15, 2026, you may submit your program end date extension request to ISSS as early as 180 Days and not less than 30 Days before the program end date on your Form I-20 or DS-2019: submit your completed I-20 Extension Request e-form via the iConnect portal, including updated evidence of financial support. Your academic advisor must also submit their formal recommendation e-form before can begin processing.
- 30 Days before your fixed period of admission expires: This is the absolute final cutoff date. ISSS requires sufficient time for review and processing. Requests submitted less than 30 days before your program end date risk being denied, causing your SEVIS record to lock.
- Note: Requests submitted to ISSS for a program extension cannot happen on or after your program end date, nor can requests be authorized during your 30-day post-completion grace period.
Q3: I want to pursue a second masters degree or another bachelor’s degree in the U.S. Is this allowed?
A3: After September 15, 2026, no. The new regulation introduces a strict ban on lateral and downward academic movements. F-1 and J-1 students are prohibited from pursuing a subsequent academic program at the same or a lower educational level than one they have already completed in the U.S. (e.g., you cannot earn a second masters degree, nor is it permitted to change from a PhD track to "master out" without severe status implications). However, upward, vertical progression (e.g., bachelors to masters, or masters to PhD) remains supported, provided you secure a new level-appropriate Form I-20 or DS-2019 and timely file an I-539 application with USCIS; or exit the U.S. and re-enter with an updated Form I-20 or DS-2019.
Q4: How does the new rule impact my post-graduation grace period and employment benefits?
A4: For F-1 students, the post-completion grace period is shortened from 60 days to 30 days, matching the J-1 timeline.
Critical compliance information:
- Grace period restrictions: The 30-day grace period is strictly a departure preparation window. During this period, taking degree-seeking classes, working on campus, or engaging in any off-campus employment is not permitted.
- Employment authorizations: All on-campus employment and CPT authorizations naturally terminate on your program end date. CPT, OPT, or AT work can only begin when you possess the physical authorization document (I-20, EAD card, or updated DS-2019 letter with the accompanying AT letter) and the approved start date has arrived. Any employment occurring outside the permitted dates is considered unauthorized employment and can lead to immediate SEVIS termination and the loss of all legal grace periods and other benefits.
- USCIS denial risks: If you timely file a Form I-539 application with USCIS and it is subsequently denied after your fixed period of admission has passed, there is no grace period. You instantly begin accruing unlawful presence penalties and should depart the U.S. immediately. Accruing more than 180 days of unlawful presence carries an automatic 3-year bar from reentering the United States; 365 days or more of unlawful presence triggers an automatic 10-year bar.
- Unlawful presence is a statutory lifetime accumulation under INA § 212(a)(9)(B). The accrual of unlawful presence days is aggregate across an individual's entire immigration history. Subsequent lawful entries, changes of status, or departures from the United States do not reset or nullify previously accrued days. Rather, any new incidence of unlawful presence will append to the existing historical balance, moving the individual closer to the non-discretionary inadmissibility bars
Group 4: Completing international students, OPT, & STEM OPT Extensions
For students navigating the end of their academic programs, applying for 12-month Post-Completion OPT, or transitioning from 12-month OPT to the 24-month STEM OPT Extension.
Q1: I am preparing to apply for 12-month Post-Completion OPT. How does my Fixed Period of Admission date interact with my OPT application?
A1: Under the new rule, your authorized stay is no longer an open-ended Duration of Status (D/S) but rather will transition to a fixed period of admission. Be aware that: when you apply for 12-month Post-Completion OPT, your I-765 application only requests employment authorization; it does not automatically extend your lawful stay in the U.S. if your authorized period of admission is expired/expiring.
- Transition Period: If your last entry to the U.S. was prior to September 15, 2026, and your most current I-94 record reflects duration of status (D/S) as the “Admit Until Date” (AUD), you are part of the transition group DHS identified in the new rule. If you submit a complete and timely I-765 application for OPT to USCIS on or before March 18, 2027 (the established 6-month transition period), you do NOT need to file a separate I-539 application. Your timely filed I-765 application acts as a joint request. During this transition period, once approved, your fixed period of admission is automatically extended through your EAD end date plus your grace period when your EAD is approved under employment category C03B, if the I-765 is properly and timely filed before March 18, 2027.
- If at the time you apply for OPT, your current I-94 record already reflects a fixed period of admission AUD because it was issued after the new rule took effect (Sept. 15, 2026), you must file both the complete I-765 application for OPT and an I-539 application to extend your authorized period of stay in the U.S.
Q2: I am currently on 12-month OPT and preparing to apply for my 24-month STEM OPT Extension. Do I need to file Form I-539?
A2: Yes, in almost all cases. Because your previous fixed period of admission was legally tied to the expiration date of your initial 12-month OPT EAD card, that hard calendar deadline is a strict ceiling. To secure the 24-month STEM extension, you must successfully navigate the STEM OPT application process:
- Obtain a STEM OPT recommendation I-20 from ISSS.
- File your I-765 STEM OPT application with USCIS before the end of your 12-month post-completion OPT period.
- Simultaneously file a new I-539 application to request USCIS to extend your fixed period of admission to your new 24-month STEM OPT Extension dates (plus your 30-day grace period).
Q3: If my current 12-month OPT EAD card expires while my STEM OPT application is still pending, can I legally stay and keep working?
A3: The regulations provide a critical safety buffer, but you must monitor it closely:
- Work Authorization: If you timely file your STEM OPT I-765 before your initial OPT EAD expires, your work authorization is automatically extended for up to 180 days while USCIS processes the I-765 application.
- Legal Stay: If you also timely filed your accompanying I-539 application, you are permitted to remain physically present in the U.S. during this pending period. However, if USCIS ultimately denies your I-539 application after your initial EAD date has passed, you receive no grace period. You must cease all employment and depart the U.S. immediately to avoid severe unlawful presence penalties.
Q4: Can I travel internationally while my Post-Completion OPT or STEM OPT application is pending alongside a Form I-539 extension?
A4: Under certain circumstances, you may be eligible to travel and reenter the U.S. while your OPT, STEM OPT, and I-539 applications are pending with USCIS. We advise that you carefully review your situation with an ISS counselor (and in some cases an experienced immigration attorney) prior to confirming any plans to travel outside the U.S. while you have applications pending with USCIS to avoid unnecessary complications or abandoning your USCIS applications. Traveling always involves some inherent risk of experiencing immigration complications.
Q5: What is the post-OPT grace period under the new rule?
A5: Once you successfully complete your authorized period of 12-month Post-Completion OPT or 24-month STEM OPT, you enter your final departure window. Under the new rule, the post-practical training grace period for F-1 students is 30 days from the expiration date listed on your EAD card.
- Note: Just like the standard academic grace period, this window is exclusively for packing and preparing to depart the U.S., transferring your SEVIS record to a higher degree level, or filing a change of status. You are strictly prohibited from performing any employment or earning income during these 30 days.
OPT & STEM OPT Compliance Checklist
- [ ] Check the clock: Review your current electronic Form I-94 AUD against your expected graduation/EAD end date.
- [ ] Dual filing check: Confirm if you are eligible to submit only the form I-765 (only legacy D/S I-94 holders who file before March 18, 2027) or if you must dually file both the I-765 OPT and I-539 applications.
- [ ] Meet the 100/30-day ISSS submission window: Submit your OPT/STEM OPT I-20 request to ISSS via iConnect portal up to 100 days before and not less than 30 days before your program end date or current EAD expiration date. Additionally, submit your complete I-765 OPT and I-539 applications to USCIS before the end of your 30-day grace period.
- [ ] Revisit international travel plans: Consider all international travel plans carefully and discuss with ISSS and potentially outside legal counsel while your I-765 OPT and/or I-539 applications are pending with USCIS to prevent automatic abandonment.
Additional resources
The information provided on this webpage is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.