The Department of Homeland Security proposed major changes to F and J visa rules that would dismantle Duration of Status, a long-standing policy allowing international students and scholars to remain in the U.S. as long as they made academic or research progress. Under the proposal, students would be limited to their program’s expected end date, capped at no more than four years, and would face shorter departure windows. F-1 students would have 30 days (down from 60) to depart or obtain new papers after program completion, extensions, major changes, and transfers would require separate processes. Universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, are warning that students may need legal assistance to navigate extension requests handled by federal immigration authorities rather than institutions. Advocates argue the policy shifts life-changing educational decisions to an already backlogged immigration system, while the rule’s mid-September effective date would begin reshaping compliance planning for colleges recruiting internationally.