On September 14, 2026, a U.S. District Court Judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction that indefinitely postpones the effective date of the new rule that establishes a fixed period of stay for F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitors among other changes. This means that the new rule will not go into effect on September 15, 2026 as planned.

This is not a final ruling on the lawsuit, however, the court paused the rule from taking effect while the lawsuit continues. You can find the order here (gov.uscourts.mad.305059.50.0_1.pdf).

For now there is no change to how F and J nonimmigrant visa holders are admitted to the U.S., how they extend their stay, or the process for changing or transferring between academic programs.

OIA/ISSS is monitoring this situation closely and will continue to provide updates as they are available. Please reach out to [email protected] with questions or concerns.