After much confusion and lawsuits, due to covid-19, F-1 student can continue to enroll just online courses.

Due to COVID-19 situation, USCIS issued the guidance on March 9, 2020. Because a lot of school changed on campus classes to online classes, USCIS allowed the student to take online classes only to remain in student status.  However, USCIS under Trump administration announced a sudden new guidance that from the fall semester, foreign students is not allowed to maintain their status if they take only online classes. It was because Trump administration wanted the universities and colleges to reopen on campus classes from the fall semesters. Such a sudden guidance put F-1 student in a bind---they have to either transfer their school to the school that offered online classes or to leave the United States.  However, a lot of Universities Harvard, sued the Trump administration. Before the hearing, USCIS settled and announced that the F-1 students can rely on March 9, 2020 guidance---meaning that student can maintain their student status by taking only online classes.

This temporary provision is only in effect for the duration of the emergency and in accordance with the procedural change documents filed in a timely manner to SEVP. NOTE: Due to the fluid nature of this difficult situation, this guidance may be subject to change. SEVP will continue to monitor