The appeals court ruling means that a lower court decision invalidating the $100,000 fee and prohibiting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from collecting it should now take effect.
The US has ended the decades-old Duration of Status (D/S) policy for international students, replacing it with a fixed student visa period of up to four years.
The rule is scheduled for publication on July 17, 2026 and is expected to take effect 60 days after publication, subject to congressional review requirements.