Online Studies

U.S. Regulations

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations state that a student can only apply a maximum of one 3 credit course taken totally on line toward the 12 credit undergraduate minimum course load requirement and the 9 credit graduate minimum course load requirement each semester.

They state that if a course has any on campus requirement, it is not considered to be an online course for this purpose.

The actual wording of the regulation is:

"For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken on-line or through distance education and does not require the student’s physical attendance for classes, examinations or other purposes integral to completion of the class. An on-line or distance education class is a course that is offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, or satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing. If the F-1 student’s course of study is in a language study program, no on-line or distance education classes may be considered to count toward a student’s full course of study requirement." 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G) (bold type by International Advising)

At UNT

A full course of study is 12 credits for undergraduates and 9 credits for 2nd bachelor, masters, and doctoral students.

Only three credits of a student's full course of study (9 or 12 credits) can be by distance education each semester. If an international student registers for more than the required 9 or 12 credits, he/she may be able to take additional distance education credits. For example, an undergraduate student taking 18 credits could have nine on-campus and nine on-line credits, with nine on-campus plus three on-line credits completing the full time course requirement. The additional six on-line credits are just "extra," above and beyond the full course of study requirement.

If a student participates in a "physical attendance" activity for an on-line course, the course is no longer considered an on-line class for the purposes of this rule.

Examples of a "physical attendance" activity include a test, conference, presentation, laboratory work, or other class-related activity that takes place on the UNT campus. This activity can be completed by an individual student or may be done as part of a group. This activity that is undertaken by the international student on campus may be an activity that is done on-line by other students registered in the class.

To see more information on the process for UNT students taking on-line courses that may qualify for this exemption, please access the website
http://cdl.unt.edu/index2.cfm?M=15&SM=17&SSF=5&PF=Visa There is a form available at the website. One copy must be submitted at International Advising before the 12th class day of the semester.