Temporary exemptions for Spring and Summer 2020 provided for online course instruction while maintaining F-1 status. That changes for the Fall semester.
Temporary exemptions for Fall 2020 provide that:
1. Students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the U.S. Those students will be considered out of status and subject to removal proceedings. Those students must either depart the U.S., or transfer to a school with in-person instruction to remain in status.
2. Students attending schools operating under normal in-person classes are bound by existing regulations, which means they may take a maximum of one class or three credit hours online.
3. Students attending schools adopting a hybrid model, i.e., a mixture of online and in person classes, will be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online. Contact your school’s international office for information on how to remain in valid status in this situation.
F-1 students attending English language training programs and M-1 students are not allowed to enroll in any online courses.
