60 days or 30? The F-1 grace period is still 60 days
It is 60. If you complete your program, or your post-completion OPT, you have 60 days to prepare to depart or transfer. The 30-day number comes from a DHS rule that would have taken effect September 15, 2026. A federal court postponed it on September 14, 2026, and USCIS says it is proceeding under the previous regulations. This page gives today's numbers first, then what the rule would change if the postponement ends. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv); 91 FR 44976
Today's numbers
| How your F-1 studies end | Grace period | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| You complete your program, or complete post-completion OPT | 60 days | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv) |
| Your DSO authorizes you to withdraw from classes | 15 days | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv) |
| You fail to maintain status (for example, dropping below a full course of study without DSO approval) | None | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv) |
The 60 days start on your program end date, or on your EAD end date if you did post-completion OPT. Not your visa expiration, and not a layoff. See when the grace period starts.
What the 60 days are for
- Preparing to depart. The regulation calls it an "additional 60-day period to prepare for departure." It is not a work period. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv)
- Transferring to another SEVP-certified school, or moving to a new education level. Your DSO has to act before the 60 days run out. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(ii), (f)(5)(iv), (f)(8)
- Filing for OPT. USCIS must receive the I-765 no later than 60 days after your program end date and within 30 days of your DSO's OPT recommendation in SEVIS. The requested OPT start date can be no more than 60 days after the program end date. See the filing-window guide. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B)(2), (f)(11)(i)(D)
F-1 students do not file Form I-539 to extend their stay under current law. If you need more time to finish, your DSO grants a program extension in SEVIS, and it must be requested before the program end date, not during the grace period. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(7)(i), (iii)
15 days, and zero
An authorized withdrawal carries a 15-day departure period. Fifteen days is enough time to book a flight and pack; it is not enough time to weigh options. Students considering withdrawal should talk with their international student services office before withdrawing, while the full range of choices still exists. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv)
A failure to maintain status carries no departure period at all. Reinstatement exists, but it is a discretionary application to USCIS on Form I-539 with a DSO recommendation, not a safety net. Problems are cheapest when raised early, while they are still compliance questions rather than violations. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv), (f)(16)
Travel doesn't change your number
Under the rules in force today, a student who goes home for a break and returns with an I-20 endorsed for reentry is readmitted for duration of status. The 60 days still wait at the end. One caution holds under any rule: leaving the U.S. during the grace period ends it for re-entry on that SEVIS record, under longstanding SEVP guidance. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(4), (f)(5)(i)
What the postponed rule would change
Status: postponed nationwide by court order on September 14, 2026 (Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration v. DHS, No. 1:26-cv-13799, D. Mass., under 5 U.S.C. § 705). Next court date: October 2, 2026. This page is updated when that changes.
Everything in this section describes the final rule as published at 91 FR 44976 (July 17, 2026). None of it applies today. 91 FR 44976
The rule would replace today's three numbers with four, and rename them "departure periods":
| If the rule takes effect: how your stay ends | Departure period | Citation (as amended) |
|---|---|---|
| Transition student completing under old-rules treatment | 60 days | 8 CFR 214.1(m)(1) |
| Fixed-period student completing the program | 30 days | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(v) |
| Early completion of the program | 30 days | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(v) |
| Authorized withdrawal | 15 days | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(v) |
| Status violation | None | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(v) |
- Who would keep 60 days. "Transition" students: in the U.S. on the effective date, maintaining F-1 status, admitted for D/S. They would keep 60 days only while they stayed in the country. Leaving and returning would convert them to the fixed-date system and 30 days. 8 CFR 214.1(m)(1), as amended
- 30 days built into the I-94. Students admitted under the fixed-period system would have the 30 days included on the I-94 after the program dates. 8 CFR 214.1(a)(4), 214.2(f)(5)(i), as amended
- A 30-day OPT window. The OPT filing window would close 30 days after the program end date, and the requested start date could be at most 30 days after it. For a fixed-period student, the filing window and the departure period would end together. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B)(2), (f)(11)(i)(D), as amended
- I-539 extensions. A student could file an I-539 extension during the 30 days, but while it was pending they could study only, not work. Filed before program end, a timely I-539 would let on-campus, CPT and economic-hardship work continue up to 240 days. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(7), (f)(5)(viii), as amended
- The OPT carve-out. A transition student filing for OPT on or before March 18, 2027, within their admission, would not need an I-539 for the OPT period; the 60-day period would count as within the admission, but the I-765 would still have to meet the 30-day filing window. See the I-539 guide. 8 CFR 214.1(m)(1)(i)-(iii), as amended
A comparison that shows the stakes, if the rule takes effect. Take two students who both finish a master's program in May 2027. Student A, in the U.S. on the effective date and never having left, would keep 60 days. Student B, admitted under the fixed-period system, would get 30 days, built into the I-94. Same program, half the runway. Today, both have 60 days.
As published, the rule counts its transition dates from its original September 15, 2026 effective date. If the postponement ends, check how DHS applies those dates at that time; this page will say.
Henry answers under the rules in force today, with the regulation cited, for students and the professionals who advise them. The free calculator shows what the postponed rule would mean for your dates if it takes effect. Free, no account needed; please leave out student names and ID numbers.
See what the postponed rule would mean with the Duration Rules Calculator → Ask Henry →
FAQ
Is the F-1 grace period still 60 days?
Yes. A student who completes a program, or post-completion OPT, has 60 days to prepare to depart or transfer. The 30-day departure period belongs to DHS's fixed-period rule (91 FR 44976), which a federal court postponed on September 14, 2026; it is not in effect for anyone. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv)
Can I apply for OPT during the grace period?
Yes, within the OPT window. USCIS must receive your Form I-765 no later than 60 days after your program end date and within 30 days of your DSO's OPT recommendation in SEVIS. The requested start date can be no more than 60 days after the program end date. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B)(2), (f)(11)(i)(D)
Can I work during the grace period?
No. The grace period is for preparing to depart or transfer. Employment authorization ends with your program or your OPT. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv)
What is the grace period if I withdraw from school?
A DSO-authorized withdrawal carries a 15-day period to depart. A failure to maintain status carries no departure period at all. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv)
Does traveling abroad change my grace period?
Not under the rules in force today. A student returning with an I-20 endorsed for reentry is readmitted for duration of status and keeps the 60-day grace period. The postponed rule would convert returning students to a 30-day period if it takes effect. Leaving during the grace period itself ends it for re-entry, under longstanding SEVP guidance. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(4), (f)(5)(iv)