The Department of Homeland Security has finalized a sweeping immigration rule that places fixed expiration dates on the authorized stays of international students, ending a system that for decades allowed them to remain in the United States for the duration of their academic programs as long as they followed immigration requirements.

Under the new regulation, students in F status will generally be admitted for the length of their academic program, but for no more than four years at a time. Those who cannot complete their studies or authorized training within that period would have to secure an extension from the federal government or leave the country and seek a new period of admission.

The rule is scheduled to take effect Sept. 15, following the required congressional review process. It also covers exchange visitors in J status and representatives of foreign media in I status, although its provisions affecting students are expected to have the broadest impact on colleges, universities and research institutions.

The change concerns immigration status rather than simply the expiration date printed on a visa. A visa generally permits a traveler to request entry at a U.S. port, while the person’s Form I-94 admission record governs how long the individual is authorized to remain in the country. International students have traditionally received an I-94 marked “D/S,” meaning duration of status, instead of a fixed departure date.

That framework allowed a student to remain while enrolled in an approved program, completing authorized practical training or otherwise maintaining the conditions of F status. A doctoral student, for example, could continue researching and writing a dissertation beyond four years without filing a separate immigration extension solely because the degree took longer than expected.

The final rule replaces that flexibility with a date-certain system. Students approaching the end of their authorized period will have to monitor federal deadlines, coordinate with their institution’s international office and submit evidence showing why additional time is necessary. DHS says students who cannot finish within their initial admission period will generally be able to request an extension.

For students, however, the process introduces a new point of immigration risk. An extension could require additional documentation and federal processing while the student is still completing coursework, conducting research or working under an approved training program. A missed deadline, an incomplete filing or an unsuccessful application could leave a student without valid status and may result in the accumulation of unlawful presence, depending on the circumstances.

The regulation also narrows students’ academic options. After completing a degree, an F-status student generally will not be permitted to begin another program at the same or a lower educational level. A student who has completed a master’s degree, for instance, could move to a doctoral program but generally could not begin a second master’s degree while remaining in F status.

DHS is also imposing tighter limits on when students may change majors, transfer institutions or alter their educational objectives. Those provisions could affect students who discover a new academic field after arriving in the United States, need to transfer because of financial or personal circumstances, or encounter a research project that requires moving to another department or institution.

The rule shortens the period students have to prepare to leave the United States after completing a degree or post-completion practical training. The existing 60-day period will be reduced to 30 days, leaving graduates less time to close housing arrangements, manage personal affairs, make travel plans or pursue another lawful immigration option.

Optional Practical Training, which allows eligible graduates to work temporarily in jobs related to their studies, is not eliminated by the regulation. But students whose initial fixed admission period would expire before or during their authorized training may need an approved extension to remain. That issue is particularly important for graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, who can qualify for extended practical training lasting up to three years.

DHS has defended the rule as an enforcement and oversight measure. The department says the number of international students has grown substantially and argues that fixed expiration dates will help the government conduct additional screening, address overstays and detect fraud or abuse. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said finite admission periods would restore the government’s ability to screen and monitor visa holders.

Higher education organizations dispute the department’s characterization of the current system as an open-ended loophole. Schools authorized to enroll international students already report enrollment, address changes, academic activity and other information through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Institutions must also designate officials responsible for maintaining records and helping students comply with federal rules.

The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration called the change unnecessary and duplicative, according to The Associated Press. NAFSA, an association representing international educators, warned that the regulation could make the United States appear less welcoming and predictable as other countries compete for students, researchers and skilled graduates.

Universities are likely to face significant operational consequences. International student offices will have to identify students approaching their admission deadlines, explain the extension process and coordinate academic records supporting requests for more time. Advisers may also need to distinguish between the expiration of a visa stamp, an academic document such as Form I-20 and the fixed date on a student’s immigration record.

The burden will not fall evenly across higher education. Four-year undergraduate students who graduate on schedule may be able to complete their programs within the initial period. Doctoral candidates, dual-degree students, medical trainees and researchers are more likely to need additional time because their programs routinely exceed four years or depend on research progress that cannot be predicted precisely.

Unexpected events could also become more consequential. Illness, family emergencies, laboratory delays, changes in faculty supervision and temporary academic interruptions can lengthen a degree without reflecting any immigration violation. Under the new system, such students may have to obtain federal approval before the date on their admission record expires.

The policy has particular relevance to California and the technology sector. Bay Area universities recruit international graduate students for engineering, computer science and scientific research, while technology companies employ many graduates through practical training before sponsoring some workers for other visa categories. More complicated student-status procedures could make that education-to-employment pathway less predictable.

The immediate task for universities will be interpreting the final regulation’s transition provisions and explaining how it applies to students already in the country. Students will need to rely on official guidance from DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and their designated school officials rather than assuming that an unexpired visa stamp guarantees continued authorization to remain.

The rule does not mean every international student will lose status after four years. It does mean that remaining beyond a fixed period will become an affirmative immigration process requiring timely action and, in many cases, federal approval. That shift turns program delays and administrative mistakes into potentially serious status problems for students whose education does not fit neatly within the government’s new timetable.