Thousands of Visa Applicants Face Big Changes in Just Weeks

Thousands of people who want to live or study in the United States are facing big changes to their paperwork. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it is updating two important forms used by international students, exchange visitors, and foreign media workers. Starting September 15, the agency will only accept the new versions of these forms and will turn away anyone who sends in the old ones. People who need to file these forms should act quickly to learn about the updates.

The two forms being changed are called Form I-539 and Form I-765. Form I-539 is used by people who want to stay in the U.S. longer or change the type of visa they hold. Form I-765 helps people get permission to work in the country. Both forms are commonly used by students, family members of visa holders, and others who are not permanent residents.

Normally, when USCIS updates a form, it allows people to use either the old or new version for a short time. But this time, the agency said there will be no such grace period. If someone sends in the old version of either form after September 15, USCIS will reject it. USCIS has released preview copies of the new forms so people can get ready, but it has warned applicants not to send in the new versions before they become official in mid-September.

These changes are connected to a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For many years, international students and some other visa holders were allowed to stay in the U.S. under a system called 'Duration of Status.' Under that system, a person could stay as long as they followed the rules of their program, with no set end date on their stay. The government says this made it hard to keep track of whether people were following the rules.

Under the new rule, people coming to the U.S. on these visas will get a specific end date for their stay. If they need more time, they must officially apply for an extension with immigration authorities. The DHS says this will make it easier to check that everyone is following the law, and will bring these visa types in line with how most other U.S. visas already work.

The number of people on these visas has grown a lot over the years. Government data shows that the number of students on F-status visas grew from about 260,000 in the 1980–81 school year to over 1.8 million in 2024. The number of people on J-status visas grew from about 141,000 to over 500,000 in the same period. The DHS says this growth made stronger oversight even more important.

Not everyone is happy about the changes. Colleges and universities have warned that the new rules will mean more paperwork, more filing fees, and more costs for students and their families. Schools may also need to hire more staff to help international students apply for extensions. Erik Luijten, the provost of Northwestern University, wrote in a July 2026 letter that the policy would affect not only international students and scholars but also university staff and academic operations. Immigration advocates share these concerns and worry about the financial burden on students and their families.