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International Student Services

Enrollment Requirements

J-1 international students must meet enrollment requirements to keep their immigration status valid. Always check with ISS if you are not able to enroll full-time.

Registration Requirements

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Undergraduate students must enroll in 12 credits each quarter.

Please keep in mind the Academic and Registration dates issued by the University to ensure that you are able to enroll by the deadline.

Graduate students are required to enroll in 10 credits each quarter.

Thesis/Dissertation Credits: Graduate students registered for at least 1 credit of thesis (700-level) or dissertation (800-level) are considered full-time for immigration purposes. However, if you have a teaching or research assistantship, you may still be required to register for 10 credit

TA/RA in Summer: Graduate students enrolled in 2 credits during the summer quarter but who have an academic appointment are generally considered full-time for immigration purposes.

Students in professional programs should consult their academic department or advisor to determine what is considered full-time during a normal academic quarter.

Other Registration Considerations

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Only one online class may count towards the minimum credit amount each quarter.

An online class is one that “does not require the student’s physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class. Therefore, any course that has some sort of physical attendance requirement, such as for a lecture, exam, or faculty meeting is not considered fully online for visa status purposes. Hybrid classes should be primarily in-person with an online component.

It is okay if you change your grade option to S/NS. You would still be considered full-time. As long as you stay registered, the grade change does not affect your J-1 status. Also, even if you do not pass the class, that does not automatically affect J-1 status. Staying registered and attempting the full-time schedule is the primary concern.
Auditing a class is not considered as enrollment and will not count towards your credit requirements.

Academic Progress

J-1 international students are expected to make academic progress to maintain their immigration status. While failing a class does not affect your immigration status, a lack of progress or dismissal from your program may.