Most F-1 students receive Duration of Status or D/S designations on the Forms I-94 when they enter the United States. This functions to allow them to maintain lawful status as long as they are actively engaged in the academic program their F-1 was authorized for. However, it appears that D/S will be replaced with a 4-year authorization period at some point in the near future. Because this is a significant change from D/S, there are concerns that students may not remember to check their Form I-94 or will lose track during their academic program, and then end up being out of lawful status when they didn’t intend to. Our recommendation to all is to check your Form I-94 after every single U.S. entry, to make sure it’s accurate, and then set a reminder for the expiration date, to alert you in plenty of time to renew, extend, or travel—whatever is necessary to maintain status.