For years, F-1 students lived under three simple letters on their I-94: D/S. As long as you kept full-time enrollment and a valid I-20, you were in status, no expiration date attached. That era is ending. The Department of Homeland Security has finalized a rule that replaces Duration of Status with a fixed period of admission, and it is expected to take effect in the fall of 2026.

If you are already studying in the United States, planning a second master’s, or weighing a doctorate, this is the single most important change to understand this year. This guide explains what is actually changing, exactly what you will need to do, and why the smart academic move under the new rule is to level up, not sideways.

The changeWhat is Duration of Status, and what is replacing it?

Understanding the shift is easier when you see the old system and the new one side by side.

The rule cleared its final review at the Office of Management and Budget in June 2026 and becomes effective 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register, which puts the likely start around September 2026, in time for the fall intake. This is not a proposal anymore. It is a finalized rule on a countdown.

If you are already hereWhat happens to students already in the US?

Good news first: the rule does not end anyone’s status overnight. If you are already inside the United States in valid F-1 status when the rule takes effect, you are generally protected until your current program end date, up to a maximum of four years from the effective date. After that, more time means an I-539.

The friction shows up at every point where D/S used to carry you automatically:

There is one more change that matters enormously for anyone thinking about switching direction: under the new rule, graduate students generally cannot change programs once enrolled, and undergraduates are barred from changing schools or programs in their first year. In plain terms, the degree you choose now is much harder to swap later. Choosing the right level up front is no longer just efficient. It is the safe play.

Your action planDo you need to file Form I-539? What to do now

Form I-539 is the paperwork center of the new system. Here is how to think about it as a continuing or incoming F-1 student.

The key decisionSecond master’s or doctorate? Why level matters now

This is the question thousands of students who already hold a master’s are asking in 2026: should I do a second master’s, or move up to a doctorate? Under D/S, a second master’s was an easy way to stay enrolled. Under the new rule, the calculus changes, and it changes in favor of moving up.

A second master’s is a lateral move: another degree at the same academic level you already hold. It does not advance your standing, and when the system is scrutinizing whether your enrollment reflects genuine academic progression, repeating a level you have already reached is the weaker story. A doctorate is unambiguous upward progression: it sits one full level above every master’s, which is exactly the trajectory the framework is built to recognize.

None of this makes a second master’s wrong for everyone. If you genuinely need a specific master’s in a new field, that is a real reason. But for a professional who already holds a master’s and wants to keep progressing in the United States, a doctorate is the stronger academic move and the stronger immigration story, at the same time.

Cleared upDay 1 CPT under the new rule, explained

Here is where confusion runs highest, so let us be precise. The new Duration of Status rule does not eliminate Day 1 CPT. The two are separate things. Curricular Practical Training is authorized by your school under the CPT regulations. The D/S change is about how long you are admitted and when you file to extend. One does not cancel the other.

Day 1 CPT is available from your first term when a graduate program requires practical training as an integral part of its established curriculum. That is a feature of how the program is built, not of which degree it is or of the D/S rule. A properly structured doctorate that requires experiential learning from term one still authorizes CPT the same way it did before.

The takeaway: the new rule changes your paperwork and timeline, not your ability to work through a properly designed CPT program. Pick the right program and the work stays intact.

In practiceAn affordable, accredited doctorate: the Alliant DBA

If leveling up to a doctorate is the smart move under the new rule, the next question is which one is accessible and legitimate. The Alliant University Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) that EduConnect supports is built exactly for this moment: an accredited, affordable, applied doctorate designed for working professionals.

Alliant is WASC accredited, the same regional accreditor as the University of California and Cal State systems, with ACBSP accreditation for the business school. Day 1 CPT is required throughout the program as part of its experiential learning, which means roughly three years of full-time, degree-related work from your first class to graduation. And the cost structure is what makes it realistic for international students, not just possible on paper.

For students set on the academic track, the same school runs a PhD in Leadership in an executive format with CPT on the same basis, so choosing between an applied and a research doctorate does not force a choice of school. Not sure which doctorate fits you? Our companion guide on DBA vs PhD breaks down the difference.

AnswersEnd of Duration of Status: your questions