Court Temporarily Halts Duration of Status Rule

A federal district court in Massachusetts issued a temporary nationwide injunction halting the Trump Administration’s Duration of Status Final Rule just hours before it would have taken effect on September 15, 2026.

Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV issued the ruling under Section 705 of the Administrative Procedure Act effectively barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from implementing the rule while the lawsuit proceeds. The final rule would have capped international student F-1 and J-1 visas at four years and 30 days rather than the current “duration of status” of their academic program. Judge Saylor found the cost-benefit analysis in the rule “insufficient” and the 4-year cap “arbitrary.”

The court has scheduled an in-person status conference for October 2, though additional legal proceedings, DHS guidance, and other events may arise in the intervening weeks.

For more information, please contact:
Karin Johns