July 17, 2026
Dear International Students and Scholars at Brown:
We are writing to inform you that today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has officially published the final version of a federal rule eliminating "Duration of Status" and replacing it with fixed periods of stay in the United States for international students and scholars on F-1 and J-1 visas. This final rule is based on a proposed rule announced on August 28, 2025, and introduces significant new changes to F-1 and J-1 regulations. While Brown and many other organizations raised strong concerns about the serious implications of the proposed changes (we provided a formal comment to DHS in October 2025), the final rule is nonetheless scheduled to go into effect on September 15, 2026. Current regulations remain in effect until then.
With the final rule now published, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) has started a comprehensive review of the new regulations. Because the final rule contains complex legal and procedural details, our team is closely evaluating each of its provisions to determine precise timelines, exceptions and other impacts for Brown and affected members of our international community.
Once our team completes our analysis, we will release a more detailed update with guidance. We anticipate that this update will include a summary of the finalized regulations, important deadlines and action items, and information about ISSS webinars and advising resources.
While there are no immediate actions we recommend for today, please keep alert for our forthcoming updates after we have finished our analysis. We ask for your patience over the coming days to allow our team the time to review the regulations carefully.
Brown remains deeply committed to our international students, scholars and their families. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to provide you with the most accurate and supportive path forward.
Sincerely,
Andrew Shiotani, Director
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
Asabe Poloma, Associate Provost for Global Engagement
Office of Global Engagement