On May 12, 2023, federal regulations reverted to pre-pandemic requirements for maintaining immigration status as an F-1 or J-1 student.
What does this mean for international students?
Minimum unit requirements by degree level:
- Undergraduate students: 12 units
- Master’s students: 8 units
- Graduate Certificate students: 8 units unless the academic program requires a different full-time enrollment count
- Ph.D. students: 6 units
- Master’s/Ph.D. students with an assistantship: 6 units
Online Course Load Limitations:
- F-1 students can count no more than one class towards their full course of study each semester.
- Sample scenarios for master’s students:
- Students enroll in two 3-unit in-person classes + two 1-unit online classes (total 8 registered units); or
- Student enrolls in one 4-unit in-person class + one 1-unit in-person class + one 4-unit online class (total of 9 registered units: 5 in-person units and 3 of the 4 online units will be counted)
- In their final semester, students must enroll in at least one in-person course; they cannot enroll exclusively in online courses.
Exceptions:
- Ph.D. or master’s students registered in a thesis/dissertation course (e.g., 594 or 794) are considered full-time enrolled during the fall and spring semesters.
- Summer session enrollment is optional for international students unless it is their first term at USC, their academic department requires it, or summer is their final term.
- Ph.D. or master’s students completing a thesis/dissertation:
- They are not required to enroll in summer (e.g., 594 or 794) if they will upload their thesis/dissertation by the end of the summer session in August.
- They must enroll in summer (e.g., 594 or 794) if they will upload their thesis/dissertation after the summer session end date in August but by the fall semester add/drop date.
How are hybrid courses (that are both online and in-person) defined at USC?
- A course is considered hybrid if it involves face-to-face instruction in a classroom for 50% or more of the required contact hours. The remaining time would be spent on online instruction. According to federal regulations for F-1 students, hybrid and in-person classes are treated equivalently. This means if an international master’s student enrolls in one 3-unit online class + one 3-unit hybrid class + one 2-unit in-person class (total 8 units), they would be considered in status.
What does this mean for students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT?
- Number of Hours Worked: Students on Post-Completion OPT must work at least 20 hours per week. Employment on OPT must be directly related to a student’s major or field of study. Students on STEM OPT must work at least 20 hours per week per employer.
- Remote Work: Students on OPT/STEM OPT may work from home/remotely if they reside in the U.S. and otherwise maintain their immigration status.