The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a sweeping overhaul of student visa rules that would replace open-ended stays with fixed end dates and add new hurdles to practical training programs. DHS moved to eliminate “duration of status” for F‑1 and J‑1 visa holders and tighten how students use practical training, a change with major implications for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
Published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025, the notice would admit most students and exchange visitors until their program end date, capped at four years, with 30 extra days to depart or transition. The proposal revives a similar 2020 effort that was later withdrawn, and, as of November 12, 2025, remains a proposal subject to revision and not yet in effect. Stays would be capped at four years, with formal extension requests required for longer programs or post‑study activity.
Under the draft rule, students seeking to engage in practical training would face added steps. Post‑completion OPT would require an approved extension of stay and employment authorization before work could begin; if a student files during the 30‑day grace period after finishing a program, they could not start or continue practical training until USCIS approves the request. OPT would require prior USCIS approval tied to a fixed admission period, rather than flowing automatically from the school’s recommendation. The plan also shortens the general grace period after study or training from 60 to 30 days and limits academic changes that, today, can be used to access CPT — including barring students from starting a new program at the same or a lower degree level and restricting graduate students from changing programs mid‑stream.
Practical training is a key draw for international students and a bridge to U.S. employers. Replacing open‑ended “duration of status” with fixed end dates and added adjudications would inject timelines, fees, and processing risks into that transition. Universities warn the approach could complicate common pathways — from multi‑year Ph.D. programs to STEM graduates pursuing OPT and the 24‑month STEM OPT extension — and could deter talent considering study in the United States. The grace period would be cut to 30 days, compressing the time students have to file extensions, depart, or change status.
DHS accepted public comments through late September and will decide whether to revise and finalize the regulation. If a final rule is issued, it would take effect after publication and could still face legal and operational tests. For now, existing OPT, STEM OPT, and CPT rules continue to apply.