Understanding the U.S. International Student Journey Today
Day 1 CPT, OPT and the September 2026 F-1 rule changes
Beginning September 15, 2026, the United States will replace Duration of Status for most newly admitted F-1 students with a fixed admission period. CPT and OPT will remain available, but dates, extensions, transfers and travel will require closer attention.
Much of the confusion comes from treating CPT, OPT and immigration status as versions of the same thing. They are not.
CPT and OPT concern practical training. Duration of Status—or, after September 15, a fixed admission period—concerns how long a student is authorized to remain in the United States.
CPT asks whether training may take place during the program. OPT concerns temporary employment related to the student’s field of study. The admission period determines how long the student is authorized to remain in the country.
| Term | When it applies | Who authorizes it |
|---|---|---|
| CPT | During an academic program, when training is integral to the curriculum | The school’s Designated School Official |
| OPT | Usually after completion; employment must relate to the field of study | USCIS, after a DSO recommendation |
| Admission period | The authorized period of stay shown on the Form I-94 | CBP at entry; USCIS may decide an extension request |
“Day 1 CPT” is an informal label, not a visa category or a separate federal benefit. Federal rules normally require an F-1 student to complete one full academic year before CPT. An exception exists for graduate programs that require immediate participation in curricular practical training.
In every case, the work must be an integral part of an established curriculum, relate to the student’s field of study and be authorized by the DSO before it begins.
“Day 1 CPT” is shorthand used to describe immediate CPT eligibility in a qualifying graduate program. It is not a separate visa, employment permit or federal immigration classification.
The practical training must form an integral part of the established academic curriculum.
The DSO must record the authorization in SEVIS and on the Form I-20 before employment begins.
Immediate eligibility depends on the graduate program, its curriculum, institutional policy and the student’s individual circumstances. It is not permission to work simply because a university uses the term in its marketing.
Both forms of practical training connect academic study with professional experience, but they operate differently and require different forms of authorization.
Curricular Practical Training belongs inside the academic program. It may take the form of an internship, practicum, cooperative placement or another experience required by the curriculum.
Optional Practical Training is temporary employment directly related to the student’s major. Post-completion OPT generally follows graduation.
Twelve months or more of full-time CPT at the same educational level eliminates eligibility for post-completion OPT at that level. Part-time CPT, or less than twelve months of full-time CPT, does not have that automatic effect. Students should review any proposed training plan with their DSO before accepting work.
Under the longstanding Duration of Status system, an F-1 student’s Form I-94 usually showed “D/S.”
The student could remain while pursuing the authorized academic activity and maintaining F-1 status, rather than until a single date printed on the admission record.
For students entering or reentering the United States on or after September 15, 2026, IAU Los Angeles advises that admission will generally be granted for the program length shown on the Form I-20, up to four years. The admission may also include up to 30 days before the program start date and a 30-day departure period after completion.
Students entering or reentering on or after September 15, 2026 will generally receive a fixed admission period rather than D/S.
The electronic Form I-94 will show an Admit Until Date, commonly referred to as the AUD.
The Form I-20 will continue to describe the academic program, but it will not replace the I-94. Students should retrieve and review the I-94 after every entry or reentry.
If more time is needed, the student may have to file Form I-539 for an Extension of Stay with USCIS before the Admit Until Date. IAU’s guidance states that an EOS application may be filed up to 180 days before the admission period expires.
Most students who are in the United States in valid F-1 status under D/S before September 15, 2026 will not need to file an immediate extension.
Under IAU’s transition guidance, they may generally remain until the program end date on the Form I-20 or the end of post-completion OPT or STEM OPT that is valid on September 15, 2026, subject to a final outside date of November 14, 2030.
An Extension of Stay may still be required to remain beyond the applicable transition period—for example, to finish the current program, begin a new one, or participate in post-completion OPT or STEM OPT.
Departing and seeking readmission with a new admission period may be an alternative, depending on the circumstances.
The new framework adds procedures and limits around school transfers and changes in educational objectives. Timing will become more consequential.
IAU’s guidance says undergraduate students generally must complete one academic year before changing their educational objective or transferring, unless an exception is approved.
Graduate students may not change their educational objective during the program unless SEVP approves an exception for extenuating circumstances.
After completing a program, an F-1 student may not move to a program at the same or a lower educational level while remaining in F-1 status.
Reentry on or after September 15, 2026 may place a student under the fixed-period framework, even when the earlier admission was under D/S.
A new degree, a transfer or international travel can change which admission framework applies. Students should speak with International Student Services before changing enrollment or booking travel, not after the decision has been made.
The fixed-period framework does not abolish CPT or OPT. Eligible students may continue to apply. Nor does a fixed admission date remove the ordinary responsibilities associated with F-1 status.
CPT and OPT remain available to students who meet the applicable eligibility requirements.
Students must continue to pursue full-time study.
Normal academic progress remains essential.
SEVIS records must remain complete and accurate.
Employment must be authorized before the student begins working.
Academic, immigration and employment-authorization dates must be monitored separately.
The change is administrative, but not trivial. A missed I-94 date can carry more immediate consequences than an outdated program estimate under D/S. Students will need to treat the Admit Until Date as a deadline alongside academic and employment-authorization dates.
The academic and professional journey develops in stages. Each stage carries its own requirements, decisions and forms of authorization.
Beginning an American MBA journey in Madrid can give students time to develop academically and professionally before considering study in Los Angeles.
Develop academically and professionally in an international, English-taught MBA environment before considering a continuation in the United States.
Any continuation remains subject to admission, university policy, an appropriate Form I-20, visa and entry requirements, and the student’s individual eligibility.
The Madrid–Los Angeles pathway does not automatically create an immigration or employment benefit. No institution can guarantee visa issuance, admission at the border, CPT, OPT, employment or a later immigration outcome.
A sensible plan begins with the degree rather than the work authorization. Applicants should first ask whether the program fits their academic and career goals, then discuss the timing of any Los Angeles study, transfer, travel, CPT or OPT with the appropriate university officials.
The new rules reward simple habits. None is difficult, but each is easier to manage before a deadline becomes urgent.
Keep the passport, visa, Form I-20, Form I-94 and employment documents together, and review them after every entry to the United States.
Compare the Admit Until Date on the I-94 with the program end date on the I-20. If the dates differ, ask ISS which one controls the next action.
A revised academic end date does not, by itself, extend a fixed period of admission.
Before accepting any internship or job, confirm that the authorization is appropriate, current and specific to the proposed activity.
Before transferring, beginning another degree or changing an educational objective, ask ISS how the restrictions and any exception process apply.
Reentry on or after September 15, 2026 may place a student under the fixed-period rules even if the earlier admission was under D/S.
A student who needs an Extension of Stay should not wait until the deadline becomes urgent. Form I-539 must reach USCIS before the authorized admission period expires. The application requires supporting evidence, a filing fee and any biometrics USCIS requests.
Filing can preserve the ability to continue studying while a timely application is pending, but filing is not the same as approval. Individual advice should come from International Student Services and, where legal judgment is needed, a qualified immigration attorney.
Speak with IAU Madrid about the academic pathway and contact International Student Services before making decisions that may affect F-1 status, CPT, OPT, transfers or international travel.
Request informationImmigration rules and implementation guidance can change. This article provides general information, not legal advice.
Students should review current DHS, SEVP, USCIS and CBP instructions and contact IAU International Student Services at iss@iaula.edu before making decisions that affect F-1 status.
