Frequently Asked Questions – Fall 2021 Enrollment Requirements
Updated September 15, 2021
The following describes US immigration enrollment requirements for F-1 students who are coming to the US for the Fall 2021 semester. Please contact an international student advisor at the International Center if there are any questions.
F-1 Fall 2021 Enrollment Requirements
| Requirements to Maintain Valid F-1 Status | If You Plan to Be Inside US During Fall 2021 | If You Plan to Be Outside US During Fall 2021 |
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| Newly Arriving Students
You are a "new student" if you are coming to the US in Fall 2021 on a Tufts I-20 and F-1 student visa for the first time, even if you started your Tufts program remotely (outside the US) during Fall 2020 or Spring 2021. |
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| Continuing Students & Transfer Students
You are a "continuing" (or transfer") student if you already came to the US in F-1 status during the 2020-2021 academic year (or earlier) and already have active F-1 status based on attendance at Tufts or another school. |
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| Deferring or Leave of Absence Students |
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Course Definitions: Online, In-Person, Hybrid
For immigration purposes, we are distinguishing between three different types of classes:
- An in-person class is taught primarily in person, e.g., in a lecture hall or other on-campus physical setting
- A hybrid class is a type of in-person class, where the class is taught primarily on-line, but the class still includes in-person components and activities that are a part of the class (e.g., lectures, discussion groups, labs, studios, recitations, examinations, and so on)
- An online or virtual class is taught 100% on-line, through video or on-line transmission and other electronic means
In general, the International Center uses the terminology adopted by the schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering which are also reflected in the Student Information System (SIS). However, different schools may describe or label course modalities somewhat differently (e.g., on-line or virtual classes may be described as 'remote' classes instead). Students should just keep in mind the differences between courses that require physical presence for all activities (in-person classes) or some activities (hybrid classes) versus those classes that are taught completely through electronic or other means (on-line or virtual classes).
When determining whether or not you are complying with the online / in-person restrictions, the International Center will review official school records, and particularly on how courses are categorized or labeled in the Student Information System (SIS). We will NOT be monitoring the week-to-week activities for each individual course to decide whether it is on-line or in-person, etc. We assume that how a course is labeled in SIS or the equivalent accurately reflects whether the course is on-line, in-person, or hybrid.
No. When a program is described as "hybrid" this means that it is offering a mixture of different types of classes - online, in-person, and hybrid classes. A hybrid class is a class that involves a mixture of online and in-person instructional activities.
As a rule these classes are generally considered in-person because they are primarily self-directed research or learning activities:
- thesis, capstone, or dissertation credits
- internship and practicum credits*
- credits that reflect in-person studio work or lab-based research
- credits that reflect in-person clinical training or teaching and training in a clinical setting
- independent study credits
- physical education credits
*You should review how any internship or practicum credits are labeled in the Student Information System, since that will determine whether the class is hybrid or in-person or virtual. Many internships credits are now being offered only virtually, so the class description may vary.