U.S. court blocks fixed-admission rule for students and journalists

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on September 14 stopping the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing the rule scheduled to take effect the following day. F students, J exchange visitors and I foreign-media representatives therefore remain under the current framework while the lawsuit proceeds.

The blocked rule would have replaced the common duration-of-status, or D/S, framework with fixed end dates on Form I-94. F and J admissions would generally have been capped at four continuous years, while most I-category foreign-media admissions would have been limited to 240 days, with extensions required for longer stays.

A preliminary injunction is not a final judgment. The government may appeal and the court may change the order later. The rule should not be described as having taken effect on September 15, but the temporary block should not be treated as a permanent repeal either.

Canadian, Chinese, Indian and other international students can continue to follow their current documents and D/S arrangements for now. They should still download and check each I-94 and consult their institution before travel or a status change, while monitoring current DHS and court notices.