Update, September 29, 2026: The rule described here was postponed nationwide on 14 September 2026, so the F-1 grace period stays at 60 days for now. The sections below describe the change as written. See our court order explainer.
Buried inside the fixed admission period rule that was scheduled to take effect on 15 September 2026 is a change that would have reached more people than the four-year admission cap: the F-1 post-completion grace period would have shortened from 60 days to 30, aligning it with the J-1 category.
Why 30 days is tighter than it sounds
The grace period is the window after a program ends in which a student can remain lawfully in the United States. It is when people decide whether to depart, transfer, change level, change status, or begin practical training. A shorter grace period changes the time available after completion. Each subsequent immigration process has its own filing requirements.
Who keeps 60 days, and for how long
The transition provisions are specific. F-1 students who were admitted for Duration of status (D/S)The period of stay for F, J and I nonimmigrants, who are admitted for as long as they maintain their program or activity rather than until a fixed date. It appears as D/S on Form I-94.See it in the glossary before 15 September 2026 generally continue to have the 60-day grace periodA discretionary period of up to 60 consecutive days after employment ends during which certain workers in E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1 and TN status, and their dependents, can be treated as maintaining status. It is set out in 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2).See it in the glossary. That continues until one of two things happens:
- they depart and are readmitted on or after 15 September 2026, or
- USCIS approves an extension of stay for them.
Either event produces a new Form I-94The Arrival/Departure Record that U.S. Customs and Border Protection creates when a nonimmigrant is admitted. It shows the class of admission and an Admit Until date, and most are now electronic and available on the CBP I-94 website. USCIS can also issue one when it approves an extension of stay or a change of status.See it in the glossary with a date-specific Admit Until Date, and from that point the 30-day grace period applies. For J-1 holders the grace period remains 30 days regardless, because it already was.
Under the described transition framework, travel followed by a new admission can change which grace-period provision applies. The effect depends on the admission and transition rules.
What this means for OPT
DHS has published specific guidance on how practical training interacts with the transition.
Current F students who were admitted under duration of status, are present in the United States on 15 September 2026, and timely file for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT)Temporary work authorization that lets eligible F-1 students work in a job directly related to their field of study. It can be used before or after completing a program, for up to 12 months in total at each education level, and students with certain STEM degrees can apply for a 24-month extension. USCIS grants it on Form I-765 after the school's designated school official recommends it.See it in the glossary or STEM OPT by 18 March 2027 do not need to file an extension of stay.
Students who travel before filing for OPT or STEM OPT, and are readmitted with a fixed period of admission, must file an extension of stay application together with their OPT application.
Students who are beneficiaries of a timely filed cap-subject Cap-subject and cap-exempt (H-1B)The H-1B category has an annual limit of 65,000 new visas or statuses per fiscal year, plus 20,000 more for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher. Petitions counted toward that limit are cap-subject. Petitions from higher education institutions, their related or affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or governmental research organizations are cap-exempt.See it in the glossary petition and are eligible for a cap-gap extension do not need to file an extension of stay. They may remain in F-1 status until the H-1B petition is approved, or until 1 April of the fiscal year for which H-1B status is requested, whichever comes first.
The date to note
18 March 2027 is the filing deadline that decides whether many current students need a separate extension of stay application at all. It is six months out, and it is easy to miss in coverage focused on the September effective date.