MISE À JOUR : La Cour fédérale reporte l'application de la règle du DHS supprimant la « durée du statut » (D/S)

Juliana LaMendola • September 22, 2026

Click here to read this article in English


Le 14 septembre 2026, le tribunal fédéral de première instance du district du Massachusetts a rendu une injonction préliminaire à l’échelle nationale dans l’affaire « Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration c. Département américain de la Sécurité intérieure », suspendant ainsi la mise en œuvre du règlement définitif du Département de la Sécurité intérieure (DHS) qui devait supprimer la « durée de validité du statut » (D/S) à compter du 15 septembre 2026. En vertu de cette ordonnance applicable à l’échelle nationale, le DHS n’est pas autorisé à appliquer des durées d’admission fixes aux étudiants titulaires d’un visa F-1, aux participants à des programmes d’échange titulaires d’un visa J-1 et aux représentants des médias titulaires d’un visa I tant que la procédure judiciaire est en cours.


Le cadre actuel de la « durée de validité du statut » restant pleinement en vigueur, les titulaires de visas F, J et I ne sont pas tenus, à ce stade, de déposer une demande de prolongation de séjour (formulaire I-539) pour conserver un statut valide au-delà de la date de fin de leur programme. De plus, les restrictions relatives aux transferts universitaires, les contraintes liées à l’inscription à un deuxième programme de même niveau, le plafond de 240 jours pour le maintien de l’emploi pendant que les demandes de prolongation sont en cours d’examen, ainsi que les délais de grâce raccourcis ne s’appliquent pas pendant la durée de l’injonction. Les titulaires de visas F-1 conservent l’intégralité du délai de grâce de 60 jours après la fin de leurs études, et les titulaires de visas J-1 conservent leur délai de grâce de 30 jours. Toutefois, veuillez noter que cette injonction préliminaire ne constitue pas une décision définitive invalidant la règle, et qu’une audience préliminaire est prévue le 2 octobre 2026 afin de déterminer les prochaines étapes de la procédure judiciaire.


Conseils pratiques immédiats :


  • Vérifier les formulaires I-94 à la réadmission : les titulaires de visas F, J, et I actuellement admis sous le statut « D/S » conservent leur statut et devraient continuer à être réadmis sous ce statut après un voyage à l’étranger jusqu’à la levée de l’injonction. Toutefois, le formulaire I-94 faisant foi en matière de séjour légal, les voyageurs doivent vérifier leur formulaire I-94 délivré par le CBP dès leur retour afin de s’assurer que la mention « Admit Until Date » (Date limite d’admission) indique « D/S » plutôt qu’une date d’expiration précise. Si une date précise a été indiquée par erreur, contactez un site d’inspection différée du CBP local.


  • Informez les RH et vérifiez la conformité sur le lieu de travail : les employeurs parrainant des salariés titulaires d’un visa F-1 ou J-1 doivent informer les RH et les responsables du recrutement que la règle de durée déterminée du 15 septembre est reportée et que les règles standard « D/S » s’appliquent. Cette évolution ne modifie pas les délais de dépôt standard ni les procédures de vérification du formulaire I-9 pour les prolongations d’OPT post-diplôme ou d’OPT STEM.


  • Maintenez votre état de préparation opérationnelle et reportez les dépôts non indispensables : les titulaires de visa et les employeurs doivent reporter toute décision relative aux déplacements ou à la stratégie de dépôt prise uniquement en prévision de la règle d’admission à durée déterminée. Étant donné que le DHS pourrait faire appel ou que le tribunal pourrait modifier le calendrier à court terme, les établissements et les titulaires de visa doivent se tenir prêts à ajuster leurs plans si la mise en œuvre reprend.



Ce litige comporte de nombreux aspects en constante évolution. Si vous êtes titulaire d’un visa F-1, J-1 ou I, ou si vous êtes un établissement de parrainage ou un employeur, vous devez vous coordonner de manière proactive avec votre service des étudiants internationaux et votre conseiller juridique afin de protéger votre statut et de suivre les prochaines procédures judiciaires.

Ce blog n'est pas destiné à fournir des conseils juridiques et rien ici ne doit être interprété comme établissant une relation avocat-client. Veuillez prendre rendez-vous avec un avocat spécialisé en droit de l'immigration avant d'agir sur la base de toute information lue ici.

Juliana LaMendola

Your Visa Status Says Refused After the Interview: Understanding Section 221(g)

By Santos Lloyd Team • November 5, 2026
You attend your visa interview expecting a clear answer, then check your case online and see the word “Refused.” For someone planning to reunite with family, begin a job, or return to an established life in the United States, that message can be unsettling.

Can You Work for More Than One Employer on an O-1B Visa?

By Santos Lloyd Team • October 29, 2026
An artist receives an invitation to join a new production. A business professional is offered a consulting role alongside an existing position. A musician wants to perform for several organizers during the same season. For professionals whose careers involve multiple projects, an important immigration question often follows: can an O-1B visa cover work for more than one employer? The answer can be yes, but the employment arrangements must be covered by the appropriate petition structure. An O-1B approval does not provide unrestricted permission to accept any job in the United States. Your approved work arrangements matter The O-1B category allows qualifying individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement to work in their area of expertise. However, eligibility based on professional accomplishments is only part of the case. The petition must also establish the proposed work and the relationship between the professional and the petitioner. Before accepting an additional position, your attorney should review who filed the existing petition, the work it covers, and how the proposed opportunity fits into that arrangement. A valid visa and an unexpired approval notice do not answer those questions on their own. Separate employers or an agent petition When an O-1B beneficiary works for multiple employers during the same period, each employer generally files a separate petition unless an established U.S. agent files a petition covering the arrangement. An agent petition can be useful when a professional’s work involves several employers or engagements. Depending on the arrangement, the agent may act as an actual employer as well or only represent the employers and the professional. The petition must document the agent’s role and the proposed employment. For an agent petition involving multiple employers, the supporting documents include contracts and an itinerary identifying the engagements, their dates, the actual employers, and the locations where services will be performed. Your attorney will determine the documentation needed for your particular structure. A new opportunity may require another filing If you change employers while in the United States, a new petition is generally required. When the original case was filed through an agent, an amended petition may be necessary to address the new employer. Material changes to the approved employment terms can also require an amendment. There is a specific provision allowing petitioners for artists and entertainers to add qualifying performances or engagements during the petition’s validity without an amended petition. That flexibility should not be treated as blanket permission to change employers or accept unrelated work. Your attorney should assess whether it applies to the proposed engagement. Review the opportunity before agreeing to a start date  A promising offer can come with a short deadline. Sharing the proposed contract, duties, employer information, and anticipated dates with your attorney early can help clarify the immigration requirements before business commitments are made. Your attorney will confirm whether the work is already covered, whether another petition is needed, and when you may begin. Do not assume that submitting a new petition automatically authorizes work for the new employer. Contact Santos Lloyd Law Firm, P.C. If you believe you may qualify for the O-1B status and to discuss a filing strategy that fits your professional plans.

Your Two-Year Green Card Is Expiring: How to Prepare for a Joint I-751 Petition

By Santo Lloyd Team • October 22, 2026
 Receiving a two-year green card through marriage is an important step, but it leaves another process ahead: removing the conditions on permanent residence. For couples preparing a joint Form I-751 petition, understanding the filing window and organizing evidence early can make the preparation more manageable. The starting point is your own record. Locate the green card, the notice granting residence, and copies of the earlier immigration filing. Check the date conditional residence began and the card’s expiration date. Do not calculate the next deadline solely from your wedding anniversary or the date an attorney first submitted your case. Understand the joint filing window Under 8 CFR 216.4 , a joint I-751 petition generally must be filed during the 90-day period immediately before the second anniversary of obtaining conditional permanent residence. This is a window before that anniversary, not an additional 90 days after the card expires. Preparing early and filing early are different things. You can begin gathering records well before the window opens, while coordinating the correct submission date with your attorney. A joint petition also requires the appropriate signatures, fee, and supporting documentation. Confirm the current form instructions, accepted filing method, and applicable fee when the case is ready to submit. Build a record of the marriage over time The regulation identifies several types of evidence that may help show the marriage was not entered into to evade immigration law: jointly owned property, a lease for a shared home, combined financial resources, children’s birth certificates, and statements from people with personal knowledge of the relationship. These examples do not mean every couple must have a mortgage, joint accounts, or children. The evidence should accurately reflect your circumstances. A clear explanation of how you manage your household can be more useful than forcing your relationship into a checklist that does not fit. As a practical preparation step, organize records by date and type. Review whether they help explain the course of the marriage, rather than collecting only documents created shortly before filing. Flag separate addresses, name changes, or gaps in the records for your attorney. Never alter a document to make the history appear simpler. Tell your attorney if circumstances change This article addresses joint filing. Divorce, the death of a spouse, abuse, or other significant changes may require a different filing basis or an individualized assessment. Separate waiver provisions exist, with their own requirements. A spouse’s unwillingness to sign does not, by itself, establish eligibility for every waiver. Do not assume that the joint 90-day window answers every question about a non-joint case. If the relationship changes while preparing the petition or while it is pending, inform counsel promptly. You should not need to invent a continuing relationship to seek advice about the options that may actually apply. Keep tracking the case after submission The regulation provides that conditional resident status is automatically extended, when necessary, upon receipt of a properly filed I-751 until adjudication. Proof of that status is a separate practical matter: keep the receipt notice and have counsel review its wording before relying on it for travel or employment documentation. This article does not promise a particular receipt-extension period or processing time. A missed deadline calls for prompt legal attention. The regulation allows some late joint filings where USCIS accepts a written showing of good cause, but acceptance is not automatic. Do not assume a late petition cures the problem without further review. Santos Lloyd Law Firm, P.C. can help you assess the filing window, organize relevant evidence, and identify changes that may affect your I-751 strategy. Contact the firm early enough to review the facts before the deadline approaches.
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