F-1 Students This Fall: The Duration of Status Rule Is Blocked, and CPT Is Under Scrutiny

International students started the fall semester facing two changes at once. One, a rule ending "duration of status," was set to take effect September 15 and was blocked by a federal court on September 14. The other, a tightening of Curricular Practical Training, didn't need a new rule at all. It came as guidance to schools, and schools are already acting on it.

Here is where both stand, and what an F-1 student should do now. Facts are current as of September 23, 2026.

The duration of status rule: what it would have done

For decades, F-1 students have been admitted for "duration of status," or D/S: you can stay as long as you're enrolled and following the rules of your program, with no fixed end date on your I-94. A final rule published July 17, 2026 would have replaced that with a fixed admission period. The main changes would have been:

• an "admit until" date on your I-94, generally the end date of your program, with a maximum of four years;
• a Form I-539 extension application to USCIS if you needed more time, instead of your school simply extending your I-20;
• a 30-day period to leave after finishing your program, instead of the current 60 days; and
• new limits on changing programs, including a bar on graduate students changing majors, programs or education levels, and limits on undergraduate transfers during the first academic year.

The same rule also applied to J exchange visitors and I foreign media representatives.

What the court did, and what applies now

On September 14, 2026, in Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration v. DHS, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction that stops DHS from implementing the rule while the case continues. So the rule did not take effect on September 15.

For now, that means:

• You're still admitted for duration of status, as long as you keep complying with the terms of your program.
• You don't need to file Form I-539 because of the length of your program.
• The 60-day period after completing your program or OPT still applies.
• The new limits on changing majors, programs and levels don't apply.

USCIS has also said that, following the order, it continues to accept the 08/21/25 edition of Form I-765 and the 08/28/24 edition of Form I-539, and is not accepting the 09/15/26 editions it had published for the rule. If you are filing for OPT, use the 08/21/25 edition of the I-765.

A preliminary injunction isn't the end of the case. The government can appeal, and the rule could still take effect later. Treat the current situation as a pause, not a permanent answer.

OPT filing deadlines

Some schools told students to expect new post-completion OPT filing deadlines from September 15, alongside the rule. With the rule blocked, USCIS's OPT page currently shows the long-standing windows. For post-completion OPT, you can file up to 90 days before your program end date and no later than 60 days after it, and you must file within 30 days of your DSO entering the recommendation in SEVIS. Check USCIS's OPT page and your DSO before you file, in case this changes again.

CPT: a narrower reading, through guidance to schools

On August 12 and August 24, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent two broadcast messages to school officials about Curricular Practical Training. SEVP said it had seen a rise in CPT authorizations that appeared to break the rules, and warned that schools that don't comply risk losing their certification to enroll international students.

The August 24 message sets out SEVP's reading of the regulation:

• CPT must be an integral part of an established curriculum. SEVP says "integral" means "essential to completeness": the program can't be completed without it.
• It must be required of every student in that curriculum, "regardless of citizenship." If American students in the same program can skip the practical training, SEVP says it isn't CPT.
• Optional electives don't qualify. An internship course you can choose not to take doesn't meet the "integral and required" test.
• CPT has to go through employers with cooperative agreements with the school. SEVP tells schools to enter into those agreements only with legitimate employers able to provide real training.
• You must request CPT authorization from your DSO, who confirms the training is required and directly related to your major, and records it in SEVIS.

SEVP also opened a confidential tipline for school officials who feel pressured to approve CPT they think doesn't comply.

The messages include a disclaimer that a broadcast "is not a substitute for applicable legal requirements, nor is it itself a rule." But they tell schools how SEVP will audit them, and schools respond to that. Programs built around practical training from the first day, sometimes called "Day 1 CPT," where training isn't actually required of every student, are the most exposed.

What to do now

1. Check your I-94 after every entry. Make sure it shows F-1 and "D/S." If the rule ever takes effect, the I-94 date will matter a great deal, so get in the habit now.
2. Keep your I-20 current. Program end dates, majors and funding should be accurate in SEVIS. Talk to your DSO before any change.
3. If you're on CPT or planning it, ask your DSO directly whether your program requires practical training of all students and whether the employer has a cooperative agreement with the school. It's better to find out now than in an audit.
4. Never start work before authorization is in SEVIS. Unauthorized employment is a status violation, and it can come back later in an H-1B or green card case.
5. Get advice from official sources. Your school's international office and USCIS or SEVP pages are more reliable than social media summaries, which often lag behind court orders like this one.

If your plan after graduation is an H-1B, the cost picture for employers changed again this month. See which H-1B payments and fees apply now.

Official sources

• Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission, final rule (Federal Register, July 17, 2026)
• Form I-765 page, including the notice on the Sept. 14, 2026 court order (USCIS)
• Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students (USCIS)
• SEVP Broadcast Message 2608-02: Guidance on Curricular Practical Training (ICE, Aug. 24, 2026)
• F-1 Curricular Practical Training (Study in the States, DHS)