US student visa rules 2026: What Columbia University’s ‘Return to US’ advisory means for Indian students

3 min readNew DelhiJul 21, 2026 08:36 PM Foreign students studying in the United States, especially Indian students, who are outside America on an academic break, have been advised Columbia University to return the first week of September, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made regulatory changes for F and J visa holders.
The advisory Columbia University comes ahead of the Homeland Security Department’s “final rule” implementation, which replaces “duration of status” with a “fixed time period of admission,” and it is scheduled to take effect from September 15 onwards.
Under the new rule, international students who hold F and J visas would be admitted to the US for a fixed period up to the program that they have opted for and not exceeding four years. Students who wish to stay longer in order to finish their studies would need to apply for an extension.

Columbia University asks students to return before September 8
In a notice on their website, Columbia University wrote, “This Final Rule has a 60-day implementation period. We recommend that all students return to New York before the beginning of classes on September 8, 2026.”
What changes under the new DHS rule for F and J visa holders?
The new rule the DHS also changes the grace period to depart the United States after the completion of a degree from 60 days to 30 days and requires students who need an extension to apply with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) via Form I-539.
Exing international students can continue under current rules
However, students who are already pursuing a degree in the US under the current “duration of status” system will be allowed to continue and complete their course as mentioned in their Form I-20 as long as they maintain their academic status.
Why the new visa rule matters for Indian students
According to an Indian Express report, there were about 300,000 Indian students in the US, mostly in Master’s programmes in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields as of January 2025. A US State Department’s 2024 report highlighted that 90,129 Indians obtained F visas.
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