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In order to maintain your lawful F-1 status you must be a full-time, registered student each term you are present in the U.S. with the exception of recognized school breaks. For some programs there are no recognized school breaks. It is important that you are aware of the expected registration requirements for your specific program.  

Students must consult with their school and/or academic program to confirm the definition of full-time enrollment and make sure to enroll in the appropriate number of credits to be in full-time status. 

  • Undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits per semester to be considered in full-time status except when fewer credits are required to complete the program in the final term of study.
  • Graduate students must follow their program’s requirements to remain in full-time status.  Full-time is 9 credits per semester/term, but some programs may expect you to enroll in more credits to stay on track for graduation.  Students should check with their program for specific requirements. 
  • If summer is the first or final term for your program, it is not considered a break. In this case, you must enroll full-time in summer semester/term unless eligible for Reduced Course Load (RCL).

    University requirements for maintaining full-time status are as follows:
Degree LevelFall/Spring Summer (if not a break)
Undergraduate12 credits is considered full-time enrollment12 credits is considered full-time enrollment
Graduate9 credits is considered full-time enrollment6 credits is considered full-time enrollment

It is also important to note that:

  • JHU’s course drop and withdrawal policies sometimes conflict with F-1 enrollment requirements.  Even though the University policy may allow you to drop or withdraw from a course, you must also consider the F-1 enrollment requirements, which are separate.  Dropping or withdrawing from courses and falling below the full-time credit load requirement is a violation of your F-1 visa status because withdrawal/dropped credits do not count toward full-time enrollment for immigration purposes
  • Audited courses do not count towards full-time enrollment
  • In some cases, it may be possible to enroll less than full-time and maintain your F-1 status if you qualify for a Reduced Course Load authorization

Online Enrollment Limitations

In addition to enrolling full-time during each required semester/term, F-1 students are limited in the number of online courses that may be taken each semester/term. You may count 1 online course or 3 credits of online courses towards your full-time enrollment each semester/term.  Once you satisfy the full-time requirement, you can take additional online courses beyond that. For example, if your program defines full-time enrollment as 9 credits, you may count multiple online courses so long as they do not exceed a total of 3 credits combined. Alternatively, you could count one online course of 4-credits towards your full-time enrollment requirement. In both scenarios, credits taken above the full-time requirement can be taken in any modality (online or in-person).

It is important to contact OIS and your academic program advisor if you have any questions about your enrollment. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure enrollment in a compliant course load.

This graphic outlines the online enrollment limits for F-1 students, illustrating how one online course or up to three online credits can count toward full-time enrollment requirements.

Special Enrollment Circumstances

Non-Resident Status

Some graduate (usually doctorate-level WSE/KSAS) students may be eligible for Non-Resident (NR) Status once they reach the dissertation-only stage of their program. Other students may also be eligible for NR status, such as some WSE master’s students participating in a formally established CO-OP program that requires CPT authorization. Not all divisions offer this option, and not all students will be eligible for NR status. Questions about eligibility for NR status and the process of applying for NR status should be directed to the students’ academic program. Typically, as part of the NR process, OIS signs off on the NR status application.

When F-1 students are placed on NR status, they are still considered to be full-time and remain eligible for F-1 benefits such as on-campus employment, I-20 extensions, CPT, and OPT.

Degree in Progress (DIP)

DMA F-1 students from the Peabody Conservatory who have reached Degree in Progress (DIP) status are able to maintain their F-1 status because they are considered full time. F-1 students in DIP status are eligible for F-1 benefits such as on-campus employment, I-20 extensions, CPT, and OPT.

Failure to Maintain Full-Time Status

Dropping below full-time status without approval for a Reduced Course Load from OIS is considered a violation of your F-1 status and will result in the termination of your F-1 SEVIS record.  Once your F-1 SEVIS record is terminated, you will no longer have a valid visa status in the U.S.