Three decades of student visa policy just ended, quietly, on a Friday in July The End of "Duration of Status": What DHS's New F-1 Rule Actually Means Before September 15, 2026 For more than 30 years, the deal for international students in the United States was simple: as long as you stayed enrolled and followed the rules, you didn't need to watch a clock. Your F-1 status lasted for the duration of your studies — that's literally what "Duration of Status," or D/S, means. No fi