Rajiv's Comments in The Times of India - Race back to US: September 15 cutoff for F-1 students seeking ‘duration of status’ protection
Published by The Times of India - July 20, 2026
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com, echoed the advice. "A student admitted to the US on or before Sept 14 falls under the old duration-of-status framework. If that same student is physically present in the US and maintaining status on Sept 15, the transition provision lets them remain based on the programme end date on the Form I-20, subject to the four-year cap," he said, adding that students entering on or after Sept 15 will instead receive a fixed ‘admit-until’ date on their I-94.
“Be mindful that entering early secures this D/S position only until the first trip abroad after the effective date. The advantage is real, but it is fragile,”’ added Khanna.
Khanna described this as "a problem area for the unwary". He said any student who departs and re-enters after the rule takes effect will be inspected under the new system, irrespective of the earlier D/S admission. " The student does not lose F-1 status, but the open-ended D/S admission is replaced by a fixed date on the I-94," he said.
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