SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
US Universities Face Disruption from New Visa Rule for International Students
WHY IT MATTERS
The new rule may discourage international students from choosing a US school, potentially disrupting teaching and research at US universities, which rely on international students for significant financial and academic contributions.
What happened
The US Department of Homeland Security has introduced a new rule for international students, effective September 15, 2026. Under the rule, most students entering the US on F-1 and J-1 visas will no longer be admitted for 'duration of status,' allowing them to stay in the country as long as they are enrolled in their academic program.
Instead, they will be able to stay for a predetermined period of time, generally four years. Students who need more time to complete their degree will have to reapply to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for permission to stay.
This change may complicate international travel and could disrupt teaching and research at US universities, which rely heavily on international students for tuition, teaching, research, and skilled work.
PRIMARY SOURCES
A seemingly technical change to international student visas could disrupt teaching and research at US universities
The Conversation US · Abigail Boggs, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Education Studies, Wesleyan University · CC BY-ND; link/attribution intake only—no edited republication