The J-1 regulatory reset: End of Duration of status and proposed changes to 22 CFR 62

Date – Wednesday, 16 September
Time – 17:20 – 17:40
Location – Workshop area, Euskalduna Conference Centre

For more than three decades, most F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors have been admitted to the United States for Duration of Status (D/S). Beginning September 15, 2026, that long-standing framework changes dramatically.

Under DHS’s new final rule, most F-1 and J-1 participants will instead receive a fixed admission period—up to four years—and individuals needing additional time must request an Extension of Stay from USCIS or depart and seek readmission.

This session explains what the rule changes, who is affected, how transition provisions work, and what sponsors, recruiters, and exchange organizations should begin doing now. We’ll discuss travel, extensions, transfers, SEVIS implications, unlawful presence concerns, and practical compliance strategies developed by organizations such as AILA and NAFSA.

Participants will leave with a practical compliance check list and a clear understanding of how this rule will reshape day-to-day program management.