International Student Enrollment and Status Requirements for Fall 2022
Since March 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has provided international students in F and J status greater flexibility with regard to online class enrollment due to the necessary shifts in teaching modalities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, temporary guidance allowed F and J visa holders to maintain status while taking fully online classes in excess of the normal regulatory limit.
On May 31, 2022, SEVP communicated that this temporary guidance would be extended through the 2022-23 academic year, but only for F-1 visa holders that were enrolled in the U.S. on or before March 9, 2020, and have continuously maintained status since then. International students that enrolled after March 9, 2020, must adhere to the limits for online learning outlined in the existing F-1 regulations found at 8 C.F.R. 214.2(f)(6).
As an academic institution, UIC has returned to offering most classes in person and students should expect to take most, if not all, of their fall 2022 classes on campus. Per the existing regulations, F-1 students are allowed to count one fully online class (up to three credits) toward their full-time enrollment requirement for immigration purposes. J-1 students cannot count any fully online classes toward their full-time enrollment requirement. F-1 students that were enrolled on or before March 9, 2020, may be able to count additional fully online classes toward their full-time enrollment requirement but should only do so in close consultation with their academic department and the Office of International Services.
As is done each semester, the Office of International Services will work with international students and academic departments this fall to ensure that F-1 and J-1 student enrollments meet SEVP requirements according to the student's individual situation. More information about international student enrollment requirements can be found on the OIS website. Students and academic advisors are encouraged to connect with OIS with questions.
Learn more about international student enrollment requirements