US Duration of Status Rule and the F-1 Grace Period for Pakistani Students (2026)

What is duration of status, and why does it matter?

Most visitors to the United States are admitted until a fixed date, and that date is printed on their I-94 record. F-1 students have long been the exception. They are admitted for duration of status, written D/S on the I-94, which means they may stay for as long as they keep a valid program and follow the rules. The Form I-20 program end date is the date that actually governs your stay, and your university’s Designated School Official, or DSO, keeps that record in SEVIS.

That flexibility is what let a Pakistani student switch from a bachelor to a master, take a semester longer to finish a thesis or move to a doctorate without asking the government for a new stay each time. It also meant that students rarely had to think about an I-94 date. A rule change would end that habit.

Why Pakistani families should care

Many Pakistani students arrive with a plan that stretches beyond the first degree: a master, then OPT, then a STEM extension. Each step depends on the dates in the record. If the way those dates are set changes, the planning has to change too. A parent paying for four years needs to know whether the visa to stay is open-ended or fixed.

This guide builds on our explanations of the Form I-20 for Pakistani students and of the I-94 and port of entry rules. Read those first if the terms are new.

What is the F-1 grace period today?

As of 18 October 2026, the Study in the States page on the post-completion grace period says F-1 visa holders have 60 days after their program end date to leave the United States, and 60 days after employment ends if they are on post-completion OPT. The same page says your program end date is the date on your current Form I-20, and that the latest permitted stay is the admit-until date on your I-94 unless you have filed an extension or a practical training request with USCIS.

The grace period is the time after your studies in which you can prepare to leave, transfer to another school, change your level of study, or change to another status if you are eligible. It is not a time for new study at your old school, and it is not a work period.

What can you do in the 60 days?

• Pack up, close accounts and say goodbye.
• Travel inside the United States.
• Arrange a transfer to another SEVP-certified school with your DSO.
• Begin a higher-level program, such as a master after a bachelor, where the school has issued the right I-20.
• Apply to change to another status if you qualify.

The 2015 Study in the States note adds that a student who leaves before the 60 days end loses the rest of the period and cannot come back in F-1 status on the old record. If you have neither applied for work authorization, transferred, nor changed status, you must be gone by the last day.

What would the new rule change?

DHS published the final rule, titled Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure, in the Federal Register on 17 July 2026 as document 2026-14439, with a stated effective date of 15 September 2026. It replaces D/S for F, J and I nonimmigrants with a fixed admission period. Those who want to stay longer would apply for an extension of stay, or leave and seek readmission.

As of 18 October 2026, the Federal Register text of the final rule states that, for F-1 students, the period to prepare to depart after completing a course of study or post-completion practical training would drop from 60 to 30 days. That is a halving of the time you have to settle your affairs, and for a student who plans a job search or a visa switch it is a real difference.

As of 18 October 2026, the same Federal Register notice sets authorized admission and extension periods for F and J nonimmigrants to the length of the program, not to exceed four years, and limits language training students to an aggregate 24 months.

Other changes people discuss

Law firm and university summaries of the final rule describe tighter limits on changing programs and transferring: undergraduates would face limits on changing programs in the first academic year, and graduate students would face stricter limits. These are described by secondary sources, and Yale’s own summary says such restrictions do not take effect while the injunction stands. If you plan to switch courses, treat that part as unsettled and ask your DSO.

Where is the court case now?

As of 18 October 2026, NAFSA’s legal defense page reports that on 14 September 2026 Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted nationwide preliminary relief that blocks the rule from taking effect while the case continues.

As of 18 October 2026, NAFSA reports that the government appealed to the First Circuit on 30 September 2026, that the appeal does not put the rule into effect, and that the district judge asked both sides to file positions by 9 October 2026.

Yale’s summary says the rule will not take effect, that the D/S framework remains in place for now and that no action is required of current students at this time. Vanderbilt’s international office also reports the appeal. The ruling is preliminary and is not a final decision on the rule, so the position can change if the appeals court or the district court acts.

Why a court block is not the end of the story

A preliminary order holds the rule back while the case continues. It does not repeal the rule. The government can ask for a stay, push for a quick appeal, or lose again. For planning, the sensible assumption is that fixed periods may return, even if not on 15 September. Choose habits that work under both systems: accurate I-20 dates, early extension planning and a calendar for every deadline.

What is an extension of stay and when would you need one?

Yale’s international office summary says that, under the rule, a student who needs more time must file an Extension of Stay application on Form I-539 with USCIS before the I-94 expires, and that filing before the program end date would allow continued employment or training for up to 240 days while it is pending, which we could confirm on that one summary.

In everyday terms, if the rule takes effect and your degree runs longer than the admit-until date, you would ask USCIS for more time rather than simply getting a new I-20 from your school. A doctoral student whose program runs past four years is the clearest example, since the cap would apply regardless of how long the department expects the degree to take.

What to prepare

• A current I-20 with the correct end date and a DSO recommendation where required.
• Proof of funds for the extra period.
• Evidence that you are making normal progress.
• Your passport and I-94 record.

Do not leave this to the last month. Applications can sit with USCIS for months, and the date by which you must file is the date before the I-94 expires. We would not rely on a fast result.

How does it affect OPT and CPT plans?

Practical training sits inside the same dates. The grace period currently runs from your program end date, or from the end of employment if you are on post-completion OPT. The Federal Register text also refers to the 30-day period after completing a course of study or post-completion practical training, so OPT is covered by the change.

The rule does not rewrite the OPT eligibility rules. Our guides to OPT work authorization, the 24-month STEM OPT extension and curricular practical training remain the right starting points. What changes is the cushion at the end of each period.

Plan the end of OPT early

If you are on OPT and expect a job offer that needs an H-1B or another status, the 60 days today, and perhaps 30 days later, are not a long time. Ask your employer’s immigration team for their timeline in the first month of OPT, not the last.

Can you travel during the grace period?

The Study in the States grace period page states that you may not depart and return to the United States during your grace period, and that if you leave early the rest of the grace period is lost. For a Pakistani student this matters because the grace period is the natural moment to fly home, and many families plan a wedding or a long visit right after graduation.

If you intend to start a new F-1 program, do not leave the United States during the grace period and expect to return on the old record. Ask your DSO how to transfer or begin the new program first, and read our guide to travel and re-entry on an F-1 before booking a ticket.

How should Pakistani students plan now?

The honest answer is to plan for two systems at once. The current one is in force. The new one may come. Here is what we advise.

• Keep your I-20 end date accurate. If your program will take longer, ask your DSO to correct it before the old date passes.
• Know your grace period on the day you start, not the day you graduate.
• Choose a program length that fits within four years where that is realistic.
• Budget for the cost of an extension if your degree may overrun, including legal help.
• Keep copies of your I-94 and every I-20 you have ever received.
• Ask your university how it will communicate changes, and subscribe to its notices.

Families also ask whether to delay a start date. We do not advise that on this basis alone. The rule is blocked, the transition provisions in the Yale summary protect people already admitted for D/S, and a delayed start carries its own risks for the visa interview and funding.

Which mistakes put your status at risk?

• Assuming the court block means nothing will ever change.
• Assuming the 30-day period already applies.
• Leaving the United States during the grace period and trying to return on the old record.
• Working during the grace period without separate authorization.
• Letting the I-20 end date pass without asking the DSO to extend it.
• Relying on social media posts instead of your DSO and official pages.
• Skipping the funds evidence needed for any extension.

The common thread is acting on a rumour. Students ask us about posts that quote a date or a number without a source. Check the Federal Register, Study in the States and your DSO before you change plans.

What does a realistic example look like?

This is an illustration with invented dates, and it is not a prediction. A student from Faisalabad starts a two-year master in January 2027, with an I-20 program end date of 15 December 2028.

The point of the table is the gap between the two last days. Thirty days is shorter than one month of notice on a lease in many cities. If you have a lease, a job offer or a family event, write those dates next to the grace period.

Frequently asked questions