Travel Information for Current International Students
While you are maintaining status as an F-1 or J-1 student, you may want or need to travel. Whether you are traveling within or outside of the U.S., you must carefully consider if the benefits of travel outweigh any potential risks to your academic and professional goals.
If you decide to travel, you must prepare the necessary documents that can allow you to safely return to your studies or employment. Please use the information on this page and the International Travel Worksheet on our Immigration Updates page to assess the risks of your travel plans and prepare for a successful trip.
The end of Duration of Status (D/S) and International Travel
On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that begins the process to end Duration of Status (D/S) for F-1 and J-1 students. The final rule will go into effect on September 15, 2026.
Until September 15, 2026, students entering the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status should be admitted for the Duration of Status (D/S). With D/S, F-1 and J-1 students are allowed to remain in the U.S. as long as they are following the F-1 or J-1 regulations and need additional time to complete their program activities. Program activities include completing your degree program or working on an F-1 or J-1 work authorization like OPT or Academic Training.
If you are allowed to enter the U.S. based on Duration of Status, you should see the abbreviation D/S instead of a date in the Admit Until Date section of your I-94.
To keep D/S, you must meet all the following criteria:
- Enter the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status before September 15, 2026.
- Remain in the U.S. after September 15, 2026, until the end of your current program or the end of your current period of Post-Completion or STEM OPT.
Starting on September 15, 2026, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will give all F-1 and J-1 students a fixed end date based on the dates on your I-20, DS-2019, or OPT EAD Card. The maximum period of stay is 4 years.
The end date will be labelled as the Admit Until Date (AUD) on the I-94. The AUD will determine the end of your current period of F-1 or J-1 status, even if your I-20 or DS-2019 program end date is further in the future.
Because of these changes, we strongly recommend that all F-1 and J-1 students studying in the U.S. for Fall 2026 enter the U.S. before September 15, 2026.
Please check your I-94 every time you enter the U.S. to confirm that your AUD is correct.
Please provide ISSS with a copy of your most recent I-94 every time you re-enter the U.S. You can do that by completing the I-94 Update form in MyISSS. You can find the form in the Passport, Visa and I-94 Update group in the F-1 and J-1 Student Services sections.
For more details about the F and J regulation changes, please review ISSS’s Immigration Updates page, DHS’s Final Rule Quick Facts page, and DHS’s Final Rule FAQ page.
Please email [email protected], schedule an ISSS F and J Student Travel Questions appointment or participate in ISSS walk-in advising if you want to discuss the risks of travel given the regulatory changes.