Immigration Updates

Since the early 1990s, international students and scholars in F-1 and J-1 status have been admitted to the United States for Duration of Status, which meant that you could remain in the United States as long as you were actively maintaining your student status. Effective September 15, 2026, international students and scholars in F-1 & J-1 status will be admitted to the US only until the program end date on their Form I-20, Form DS-2019 or Employment Authorization Document (EAD), not to exceed four years, plus a 30-day grace period.

The new rule was published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2026, and will take effect on September 15, 2026.

Effective September 15, 2026, your admission to the United States will be transitioned from Duration of Status (D/S) to a fixed date, which would be the Program End Date on your Form I-20, Form DS-2019, or EAD, or four years from the effective date of the rule change, whichever is shorter, plus 60 days for F-1 visa holders and 30 days for J-1 students and scholars.

You do not need to take immediate action or apply for a new I-94. If you exit the United States and return on or after September 15, 2026, please know that you will be admitted for a fixed admission period that will match the program end date on your Form I-20, plus 30 days. If you will need additional time to complete your program of study, you will need to apply for an Extension of Stay through USCIS by submitting the Form I-539, paying the filing fee, and supporting documentation.

I am a doctoral student and I will need more than four years to complete my program of study. If I am admitted to the United States in F-1 status for only four years, what are my options? 
You will need to apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting a Form I-539, along with supporting documents and the required filing fee, to USCIS prior to the end of your admission period. 

I successfully filed my Extension of Stay (Form I-539) prior to the Program End Date on my Form I-20. However, my extension request is still pending with USCIS. What does this mean for my F-1 status? 
In this case, you are considered to be in a period of authorized stay until USCIS adjudicates your Extension of Stay request. In addition, your on-campus employment authorization as an F-1 student continues while your request is pending. The automatic extension of your on-campus employment authorization may not exceed 240 days.

I have an initial Form I-20 for the Fall 2026 semester. When is the earliest that I can enter the United States with my F-1 visa and Form I-20?
New students are still permitted to enter the United States up to 30 days before the Program Start Date on their I-20. For Fall 2026, the earliest that you can enter the United States in F-1 status is July 29, 2026. 

I am a current international student who was admitted for Duration of Status (D/S) upon my most recent arrival in the United States and will travel and return after September 15, 2026. What will happen to my I-94?
Upon return to the United States, you will receive a new I-94 with a fixed date of admission, which will be the program end date on your I-20, plus 30 days.

Under the new rules, how long is my Grace Period at the conclusion of my degree program? 
F-1 students who enter the United States on or after September 15, 2026 will have a 30-day grace period after the program end date on your Form I-20. 

Am I eligible to transfer schools?
Under the new rules, there are restrictions on transferring to a new institution. Undergraduate students must be enrolled at the school that issued their I-20 for at least one academic year before they become eligible to transfer to a new school. Graduate students may only be eligible for a transfer if the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) approves an exception on a case-by-case basis.

Am I eligible to change my program of study (major)?
Undergraduate students are only eligible to change their major of study after completing one year of full-time study. Graduate students are not permitted to change their major or program of study at any point during their program.

I will graduate from Montclair in May 2027 and plan to transfer to a new university to continue my education. What does the transfer process consist of? 
The transfer process now involves two steps. First, you will need to initiate the transfer request with OGE. Second, you will need to formally apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting an updated I-20, Form I-539 (along with the filing fee), and supporting documentation to USCIS. 

I will graduate from Montclair in May 2027 with a master’s degree and plan to transfer to a new university for Fall 2027 to pursue a second master’s degree in a different discipline. What does the transfer process look like? 
Lateral transfers (e.g. master’s degree to master’s degree) or reverse matriculation (e.g. master’s degree to bachelor’s degree) are prohibited under the new rules. 

I will graduate from Montclair in December 2026 and plan to apply for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) during the Fall 2026 semester. What does the application process consist of?
If you are in the United States on September 15, 2026, and were admitted for Duration of Status (D/S) on your most recent I-94, you are included in the six-month Transition Provisions that affect OPT. In this case, you are not required to submit an Extension of Stay request to USCIS as part of your OPT application. Attend an OPT Workshop to learn more about OPT eligibility requirements and the application process.

I will graduate from Montclair in May 2027 and plan to apply for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) during the Spring 2027 semester. What does the application process consist of?
If you are in the United States on September 15, 2026, and were admitted for Duration of Status (D/S) on your most recent I-94, you are included in the six-month Transition Provisions that affect OPT. In this case, you are not required to submit an Extension of Stay request to USCIS as part of your OPT application if you receive your OPT I-20 from the OGE by March 18. Attend an OPT Workshop to learn more about OPT eligibility requirements and the application process.

IMPORTANT: Note that if you depart the country and return on or after September 15, you are no longer included in the Transition Provisions and would be required to also apply for an Extension of Stay when you submit your OPT application to USCIS.

I am in F-1 status and my spouse is here as my F-2 dependent. I need to apply for an Extension of Stay for one additional semester to complete my program of study and graduate. Does my spouse need to submit a separate Extension of Stay request to extend her F-2 status? 
You can include your dependent spouse as part of your Form I-539 Extension of Stay. Your spouse should file a Form I-539A as part of your Extension of Stay request. Your spouse would not need to pay a separate filing fee with the Form I-539A. The Extension of Stay for your F-2 dependent will not exceed your authorized admission period as the F-1 student.

I have an initial Form DS-2019 for the Fall 2026 semester. When is the earliest that I can enter the United States with my J-1 visa and Form DS-2019? 
New students are still permitted to enter the United States up to 30 days before the Program Start Date on their DS-2019. For Fall 2026, the earliest that you can enter the United States in J-1 status is July 29, 2026. 

I am a J-1 student and would like to apply for pre-completion Academic Training. Do I need to apply to USCIS and complete the Form I-539? 
Pre-completion Academic Training takes place during your program and should be completed before the Program End Date on your DS-2019. For this reason, you do not need to submit a Form I-539 to USCIS to apply for Academic Training. Meet with your OGE advisor to discuss the pre-completion Academic Training process.

I am a J-1 student and would like to apply for post-completion Academic Training. Do I need to apply to USCIS and complete the Form I-539? 
Post-completion Academic Training takes place after you complete your studies. This requires an extension to your DS-2019 and therefore you will also need to apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting a Form I-539 to USCIS to formally extend your stay in J-1 status. 

I am an international exchange student in J-1 status and would like to apply to extend my stay at Montclair for one more semester. How can I apply for the extension? 
This is a multistep process. First, receive approval from your advisor in the International Academic Initiatives Office. Second, request the extension to your DS-2019 through the MyGlobal Portal. Third, once you have your updated DS-2019, apply for an Extension of Stay by submitting the Form I-539, along with the filing fee and supporting documentation, to USCIS. 

I am a J-1 Research Scholar and would like to extend my stay within the allotted 5-year maximum period. What do I need to know about the DS-2019 extension process under the new rule? 
Effective September 15, 2026, you are admitted until the program end date on your DS-2019, not to exceed four years, plus a 30-day grace period. If you intend to continue your research program beyond the program end date on your DS-2019, you will need to apply for an Extension of Stay with USCIS before your program end date. Schedule an appointment with an OGE advisor to discuss the process in more detail.

Updated August 3, 2026

President Trump issued a new presidential proclamation on December 16, 2025, that expands on a proclamation issued in June 2025. The new proclamation suspends visa issuance for some countries, including F and J visas. The countries affected by the two proclamations are as follows: 

Full travel ban (entry suspended for immigrants and nonimmigrants, including F and J visas)

Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Palestinian Authority Travel Documents, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen.

Partial travel ban (entry suspended) for F and J visas

Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The new travel ban is in effect as of 12:01am EST on January 1, 2026, and applies to nationals of countries listed above who:

• Were outside of the US on January 1, 2026, and
• Did not have a valid visa on January 1, 2026.  

What does this ban mean for you?

If you are a current student, the Office of Global Engagement (OGE) strongly recommends that you do not travel outside of the United States. Please note that entry to the US is at the discretion of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the University cannot interfere in their decision. As an important reminder, you are permitted to remain in the US in F-1 status with an expired F-1 visa as long as your Form I-20 is valid. This also applies to recent graduates who are currently working under OPT authorization. Contact us by email at oge@montclair.edu or phone at +1-973-655-6862 if you have any questions. 

If you are a prospective student, please review the information that was sent to you via email and contact us at global@montclair.edu with any questions. 

To summarize for nationals of the restricted countries:

• An F-1 student who is inside the US with a valid visa right now is not affected.
• An F-1 student currently outside the US with a valid visa right now is not affected.
• Students WITHOUT a valid visa and outside the US will NOT be able to re-enter or obtain a new F-1 visa.
• Students WITHOUT a valid visa but who are inside the US are NOT subject to the ban, BUT will likely face problems renewing their F-1 visa and re-entering the US if they exit the US at any time.
• Students currently in the U.S. on visas other than F-1 will also face a high likelihood of denials if going through the change-of-status process