New US visa rule: Harvard sets reporting deadline for Kenyan, foreign students

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Harvard International Office urged F-1 and J-1 students and scholars to be in the US before a new DHS rule takes effect on September 15

- The new Department of Homeland Security rule imposes four-year limits on student visa status and restricts programme transfers and changes of study

- Students who re-enter the US after September 15 will face stricter conditions, including a shortened grace period and mandatory USCIS extension filings

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Harvard University's International Office has advised Kenyan and other international students enrolled in on-campus programmes to ensure they are physically present in the United States (US) before September 15, 2025, when a sweeping new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule on student visa status comes into force.

The guidance applies to F-1 and J-1 visa holders, as well as J-1 exchange scholars, who are registered for on-campus study this autumn.

Why the September 15 Date Matters

The new rule will be applied differently depending on whether a student is already in the country when it takes effect.

Harvard noted that International students and scholars who are on US soil on September 15 will be permitted to remain in the country until the later of their programme end date or the expiry of their post-completion work authorisation, up to a maximum of four years, without needing to file for a separate extension.

However, students who travel outside the US and re-enter after September 15 will immediately become subject to the new rule upon their return.

For those students, the "Admit Until Date" recorded on their I-94 arrival form may be revised to reflect only their programme end date, which could complicate any future applications to extend their stay.

The grace period available to F-1 visa holders will also be cut under the new framework, dropping from 60 days to 30 days. J-1 scholars currently benefit from a 30-day grace period, which will remain unchanged.

Students already in the US when the rule takes effect will retain the existing, more generous grace periods.

What are the changes in new US student visa rules?

One of the most significant shifts under the incoming rule concerns how students extend their authorised period of stay.

Under the current system, students can generally push back their programme end dates through their universities, without needing to separately apply to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for an extension of status.

The new rule eliminates that pathway. Students who wish to remain in the US beyond their admitted period will be required to file directly with USCIS, adding a bureaucratic step that could affect thousands of international students, including those from Kenya.

The rule will further restrict students' ability to change institutions or alter their declared programmes of study, tightening oversight over how international students fulfil their visa obligations while in the country.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.