f-1 students

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• Maintaining your F-1
• Enrollment requirements
• Reduced Course Load eligibility
• Grace period after program completion

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at Central Michigan University supports F-1 international students by helping them follow visa rules and navigate immigration requirements while living and learning in the United States. The ISSS office will also help you understand on-campus and off-campus work opportunities.

Important: If you’re ever unsure about your responsibilities or have questions, please contact an advisor at the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). We’re here to help!

Maintain your F-1

As an F-1 international student, you must follow specific federal rules from the United States government. If you do not follow these regulations, it is possible to affect your F-1 status. These rules are tracked in a government system called SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).

Below, you'll find a summary of your key responsibilities as an F-1 student and what CMU's ISSS office can do to help.

Enroll full-time

You must study full-time every semester unless you have special permission. 

• Undergraduates: Take at least 12 credits per semester.
• Graduates: Take at east 9 credits per semester. If you have a graduate assistantship, you must take at least 6 credits per semester.
  

Attending classes in-person or partly online

Students are allowed to take online courses, but only if they are enrolled in a minimum number of in-person or hybrid credits each semester. This is required to maintain your immigration status. 

The required in-person or hybrid credit minimums are: 

• Undergraduate students: Take at least 9 credits in person or hybrid.
• Graduate students (no assistantship): Take at least 6 credits in person or hybrid.
• Graduate students with an assistantship: Take at least 3 credits in person or hybrid.

You may take additional online courses as long as you meet the minimum required in-person/hybrid credits for your student category. 

Important: Hybrid courses must include classroom time on campus (such as scheduled on-campus meetings) to count toward the in-person credit minimum. Fully online or asynchronous-only courses do not meet this requirement. 

Reduced Course Load (RCL) eligibility

A Reduced Course Load (RCL) means you can take fewer classes for a short period of time. This is only allowed for certain situations, like academic difficulties, medical reasons or if you're in your final semester and need fewer credits to complete your program.

If you are in your last semester before completing your program, you must enroll full time unless you have approval for an RCL.

Note: If you are approved for an RCL, that course must be in person or hybrid — not fully online. 

Below are the only situations where an RCL may be approved: 

1. Academic difficulties

Available only during your first semester and only once per degree level, for these reasons: 

• Initial difficulty with the English language.
• Initial difficulty with reading requirements.
• Unfamiliarity with U.S. teaching methods.
• Incorrect course level placement.

2. Medical reasons

If you are unable to study full-time due to a physical or mental health condition, you may apply for a medical RCL. A recommendation from a U.S. doctor or licensed clinical psychologist is required and can be dated no more than 30 days from the beginning of the semester.

• Doctor recommendations cannot be dated more than 30 days from the beginning of the semester.
• The documentation must recommend that the student enroll part time or not at all due to medical circumstances.
• You can use a medical RCL for up to 12 months total per degree program.

3. Final semester

If you are in your final semester and need fewer credits to graduate: 

• You must enroll in at least the number of credits needed to complete your program.
• You must have a verified application for graduation on file for the semester.
• Only one online course is allowed toward your remaining credit requirement.
• If you need only one class to graduate, it must be in person or hybrid (cannot be fully online).

After finishing your program

When you complete your academic program, you (an F-1 student) and your family members (called F-2 dependents) have a 60-day grace period. A grace period is extra time to make plans.

During this time, you can: 

• Stay in the U.S. while preparing to leave.
• Travel inside the U.S.
• Apply to stay in the U.S. by changing your immigration status.
• Transfer to another college or university in the U.S. by transferring your SEVIS record and I-20.

Restrictions during the grace period

During the 60-day grace period, you cannot:

• You cannot leave and return to the U.S. and maintain an F-1 or F-2 status (this includes short trips to Canada). 
• You cannot work on or off campus. 
• You cannot apply for a program extension. 

Important: If you leave the U.S. during your grace period, the rest of your grace period is will be lost. You should not plan to re-enter in F-1 or F-2 status. 

Dependents in F-2 status

If you wish to bring a spouse or child (under the age of 21) to the U.S. as a F-2 dependent, you must submit the Dependent Information - New F-2 Dependent Request in the ISSS portal.