New visa, Green Card rules coming into effect from September 2026: Is the 75-country ban lifted?

New visa and Green Card rules from September. August 2026 has been a milestone month for US immigration, as several new rules were announced this month. Some were proposals, some were just published and waiting for public comment, while some will be implemented from September. Two major changes to US immigration and visa policy go into effect in September 2026, alongside standard end-of-fiscal-year shifts in green card availability.End of "Duration of Status" for student and visitor visas from September 15The Department of Homeland Security is replacing the decades-old open-ended "Duration of Status" (D/S) model with fixed admission dates for F-1, J-1, and I visa holders. Students are the primary target group of these new rules. F-1 students will no longer be admitted to the US as long as they continue studying. They will receive a fixed date ties to their program end date or a maximum of 4 years, whichever is shorter.For courses that run longer than 4 years, students will get an extension on applying.Colleges and universities have asked international students who are outside the US to return before September 15 so that they are not negatively impacted by the new rule. A lawsuit ha...