Maintaining Visa Status

While studying in the United States, you must comply with the regulations governing international students and scholars (F-1 or J-1 visa holders). 

When the U.S. Department of State issued you an F-1 or J-1 student visa, it was based on your plan to complete a program of study in the United States. In order to maintain status, you must. 

• Maintain a full course of study each semester. A full course of study for undergraduate students is a minimum of 12 credit hours.  A full course of study for graduate students is a minimum of 9 credit hours.     
• Attend all your classes.
• Make satisfactory progress towards your degree.
• Comply with all laws of United States, Commonwealth of Kentucky and local municipalities.
• Provide USCIS with timely updates of all changes to contact and personal information.

Online Courses

• Only one online course may count toward the full course of study.
• For undergraduate students, a minimum of 9 credits must be in person.
• For graduate students, a minimum of 6 credits must be in person. 

 If you are not enrolled full-time, contact your Designated School Official (DSO) immediately. You may be eligible for a reduced course load in limited circumstances. 

• Speak with your DSO before dropping a class.

Upon Program Completion

Upon completion of program of study and any authorized period of practical training, F‑1 students have 60 days to leave the United States. Prior to completion of your program, you should speak with your DSO to learn more about the following:

• Apply for OPT
• Change your education level (e.g., bachelor’s to master’s)
• Transfer to another school
• Change to another visa status