Academics

When registering for classes, please keep in mind that there are enrollment requirements for students on an F-1 visa. Federal regulations require that all F-1 students be enrolled in a full course load for two semesters out of the year to be considered maintaining their non-immigrant status. For BYU-Idaho students, this would be your on-track semesters. Full course load means:

• You are enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits, and
• Only one online class or 3 credits of online coursework can count toward the 12-credit minimum (See the Department of Homeland Security PDF for more information).

New international students should register for classes before coming to BYU-Idaho. If you are unable to attend BYU-Idaho on campus your first semester because of travel or visa complications, you should contact our office and drop your classes as soon as possible so you are not charged tuition for those classes.

Registration is prioritized by the number of credits a student has earned. See the Registration site to find out when you register.

You must be fully enrolled on the first day of the semester. International Services will allow students to get to full enrollment within the first 30 days of the semester. Students who are not fully enrolled 30 days after the first day of the semester will have their I-20 terminated for Failure to Enroll.

For questions regarding enrollment requirements, please contact International Services. If you are not enrolled correctly, your immigration status may be terminated, and you will be required to return home. It is extremely important to ensure that you are in the correct amount of credits on campus.

Class Planning

International students are considered to be maintaining status if they are making normal progress toward completing their course of study. This means maintaining full enrollment, succeeding in classes, and keeping their GPA up. A student that is maintaining 2.0 CUM GPA or higher is considered to be in good academic standing and making regular academic progress.

If you find that you are struggling in your classes and are unable to maintain good grades, you should reach out to International Services and Academic Advising. If you are unable to keep a minimum of 2.0 GPA this may prevent you from having applications approved and you could fall out of status.

See the Majors, Minors, and Clusters page for information about declaring a major.

I-Plan is a great tool to plan for your education and future. I-Plan can help with academic preparation and career exploration. I-Plan is where you will apply for internships. I-Plan also had a grad planner that can help you plan classes for the future and stay on track for graduation.

See the Graduation page for information about graduation.

If you would like to transfer schools, International Services can transfer your SEVIS record to your new school, where they will issue you a new I-20. When we transfer your SEVIS record, you will not need to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee again, and your new school will hold your record.

Before we can transfer your record, you will need to be admitted to a new school. Once that is done, you will need to fill out the Transfer Out Request e-form on Sunapsis.

As soon as the transfer is complete, any work authorizations that you may have will be completed the date your record is transferred regardless of the expiration date. This would include CPT and OPT authorizations.