New Delhi: Harvard University has urged its international students and scholars to review their travel plans. The university has asked the students to consider returning to the US before 15 September, ahead of the expected changes to F-1 and J-1 visa rules.
The proposed visa rules by the Department of Homeland Security are expected to affect how long international students can stay in the country.
F-1 and J-1 are non-immigrant US visa categories used by international visitors. These visas are used by foreigners to study, train, teach or participate in educational exchange programmes.
Under the new 2026 F-1 and J-1 visa policy, students receive a specific “Admit Until Date” on their I-94 form, which is an official arrival/departure record issued by the US Customs and Border Protection to foreign visitors entering the country.
“Under the new rule, students hoping to remain in the United States beyond their authorized admission period will be required to file for an extension through U.S. citizenship and immigration services,” said The Harvard Crimson newsletter.
The changes are stark compared to the existing system wherein students could extend their programme dates “through their universities without separately applying to USCIS for an extension of stay.”
Not just that. The new rules also restrict students from transferring to another institution or changing their course of study.
Uncertainty among students
The new visa rules under the Trump administration are seen as an attempt at better immigration monitoring.
But these have left students uncertain, who remain unclear about how the changes could affect their visa applications.
“We understand that the rule change, and the lack of clarity surrounding it, has been confusing and unsettling for all of us across higher education,” the guidance by Harvard International Office (HIO) said.
It also said that they are gathering more information to guide the students, but also accepted their own limitations, given the lack of information on what would follow next.
“We are fielding many questions, and over the last several weeks have continued to gather more information through our work with national higher education associations, but it is possible we may not have clarity around some of those questions by the effective date of September 15,2026,” the guidance added.
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Opposition
The new visa rules are also facing legal opposition. A coalition of higher education and labour unions have filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the rules from taking effect.
They have asked the federal judge for a “preliminary injunction that would temporarily block the rule while the suit proceeds, though it has not yet been granted.”
Harvard is representing the lawsuit along with two more organisations including Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts.
“The outcome of litigation is uncertain (as it is with any litigation at this stage); we will monitor this case as it moves through the legal process and will communicate any impact on the rule change or our guidance,” the HIO site said.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)