How do I know my official program completion date?
FAQ.
Answered by Robin Catmur-Smith, Managing Director of the International Student Resource Center
Last updated: July, 2026
How do I know my official program completion date?
Your official program completion date is the one shown on your I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) form. It is not noted on your I-94. Your I-94 may say "Duration of Status (D/S)," but your status ends on the I-20/DS-2019 program end date. Note that effective September 15, 2026, there is a new process that will assign an end date on your I-94. Find more information here.
Two dates not to confuse
Academic completion: when you finish all academic requirements. Usually this would be your graduation date, date of your last exam, or date after which you have no other work to complete in order to be awarded your degree.
Immigration status end: the end date listed on your I-20/DS-2019.
Your responsibilities
Know your academic program end date and your I-20 form / DS-2019 form end date.
Work with your DSO/ARO to extend your form end date if needed, and secure any extension before the current end date passes.
If you don't extend before your program end date, your SEVIS record will show you in a post-completion grace period, and your SEVIS record will complete after 60 days. See: How do I extend my F-1 program? / Can I extend my J-1 program?
Note: A proposed federal rule may change this (replacing D/S with a fixed end date) — see Recent Updates.
References: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(7)(iii), 22 CFR 62.43
