International F-1 and Form I-20

On September 14, 2026, the Massachusetts District Court blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) F-1 Duration of Status Rule from going into effect on September 15^th. Please note that this is not a permanent elimination of the proposed regulations that were scheduled to go into effect on 09/15/26. Our recommendation is for you to continue planning with the assumption that proposed rules could eventually take place in their original form. For your reference, this is the link to the original Federal Register regulations published on 07/15/26 with the effective date of 09/15/26. Also check a Summary of the new regulations, that were scheduled to go into effect on 09/15/26, on the DHS Study in the States website. We will note the areas of this web page that might change when the new DHS F-1 regulations are officially cleared and finalized.  Information provided is subject to change and may evolve in response to developments in the immigration landscape. As such, it should not be considered static or permanent. Take a few minutes to read it in its entirety and contact Lesley International Student Services at iss@lesley.edu for assistance.

Tourist or business statuses, including ESTA prohibit any type of study from within the US, including participation in a low-residency program of study. US Immigration law mandates that a person enter the US in the correct status for their intended activity.

If you are in the US in a non-F-1 status or status other than the above, please check with your immigration attorney on whether your status permits study from within the US, including low-residency study. You should also check if it allows you to receive scholarships or for you to participate in any on or off-campus employment or program required internship, practicum, or fieldwork.

If you are currently on another school’s Form I-20, it does not permit you to take Lesley courses (online, in-person, or hybrid) including participation in a Lesley low-residency program, until you receive the formal Lesley I-20.

The Lesley I-20/F-1 sponsorship only permits study of Lesley courses. It does not allow study at any other US school including online schools even those with existing partnerships with Lesley, such as Straighterline, Study.com, or other online programs.

If you are currently on another school’s Form I-20, it does not permit you to take Lesley courses (online, in-person, or hybrid) including participation in a Lesley low-residency program, until you receive the formal Lesley I-20.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) prohibits schools from issuing a Form I-20 to students who have been conditionally accepted. Lesley’s International Student Services can only issue an I-20 AFTER the student has met all the standards for admission, and no longer has any conditions listed on their official Lesley acceptance letter.

Students intending to apply for the Lesley Form I-20 can only fulfill prerequisite work, including that offered by Lesley courses or bootcamps, while physically taking such courses from outside of the US. Students in the US in another school’s F-1 status are only legally allowed to take courses from the school listed on their Form I-20. Furthermore, F-1 students cannot do any study, including online study, while on Optional Practical Training (OPT) or STEM OPT.

If you were conditionally accepted into a Lesley program, please note that your Lesley Admissions Counselor and Academic Advisor are not versed in immigration law. It is your legal responsibility to contact iss@lesley.edu to address all your immigration related questions and to help you set the most appropriate immigration path.

The first Lesley I-20 issued to student will have either a fall session “I” or spring session “I” start date. The F-1 regulations mandate that the F-1 student’s first semester fulfills the F-1 full-time enrollment of 12 credits for undergraduates and 9 credits for graduates, of which only 3 credits can be online. Because Lesley’s summer session and the fall “II” and spring “II” sessions only offer online courses, they will never be able to provide the needed F-1 full-time in-person credits. As a result, the international student’s first Lesley I-20 will only be able to be for either a fall session “I” or spring session “I” start date.

The only exception to above, is for low-residency programs. If you are accepted into a Lesley low-residency program and will be completing your entire low-residency program from outside of the US, please review the “Low Residency I-20 Eligibility” section of this page for more detailed information.

F-1 regulations are extremely strict when it pertains to “any” off-campus activity including employment, internships, practicums, and fieldwork (paid, unpaid, hybrid, remote or in-person). All will require prior approval through issuance of the proper Lesley I-20 authorization. Most Lesley internships are unpaid, and on-campus employment opportunities are limited. Only US citizens or US permanent residents are eligible for Federal Work Study (FWS) funds. Visit the Lesley University Financial Aid, Bills & Payments webpage for detailed costs. Contact iss@lesley.edu for the I-20 International Student Estimate of Expenses specific to your Lesley program of study to help you appropriately plan your finances.

To request a waiver of the Lesley student health insurance, the student must first register for classes, then submit documentation to the Lesley Gallagher insurance provider to demonstrate that they have comparable insurance coverage. 

Low-residency students entering the US on a Lesley low-residency I-20 will be required to have comparable insurance coverage for each low-residency period encompassing the I-20 low-residency dates and the pre and post arrival grace periods. Refer to the “Low-Residency I-20 Eligibility” section for more detailed information on the low-residency I-20 process.

Lesley scholarships are based on full-time enrollment. F-1 status students are legally required to maintain full-time enrollment each fall and spring semester of 12 credits for undergraduates and 9 credits for graduates of which only 3 credits can be online. From an F-1 perspective, if in final semester student no longer has a full course load remaining for degree completion, they can apply for a Last-Semester Reduction of Course Load I-20. However, please note that any scholarship remaining during a part-time semester will be prorated to a lesser amount. Also, international students completing their Lesley degree during a school vacation period, will be required to maintain in-person credits. Contact help@lesley.edu with all your billing questions.

If you are currently in the US on another school’s F-1 program, or on their Optional Practical Training (OPT) or STEM OPT and are planning to transfer to a Lesley full-time in-person academic program, contact iss@lesley.edu immediately so we can review your case and ensure that you do not go over the legally allowed time to transfer to another school’s F-1 program. Please note that Lesley does not issue transfer or reinstatement I-20s for low-residency programs. Also, be mindful of the  9/15/26 DHS F-1 regulations, which although currently on pause, if reactivated into their original terms, impose great restrictions on the F-1 transfer process, especially for graduate students.  Lastly, F-1 regulations prevent F-1 students from getting two periods of OPT for same degree level, or from obtaining OPT for a lower degree level. Example, if a student obtained OPT for a Master’s level, they cannot apply for OPT for a second Master’s level. They also cannot apply for OPT for any degree lower than Master’s.

The 9/15/26 DHS F-1 regulations, impose the following restrictions:

Please NOTE: On September 14, 2026, the Massachusetts District Court blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) F-1 Duration of Status Rule from going into effect on September 15^th.  This is not a permanent elimination of the proposed regulations that were scheduled to go into effect on 09/15/26. Our recommendation is for you to continue planning with the assumption that proposed rules could eventually take place in their original form, as per the following, refer to the first section of this page titled “Attention: New DHS F-1 Rules” for more detailed information on the ruling and pause. And contact iss@lesley.eduto discuss questions specific to your case.

The following changes will only apply if the above-mentioned DHS F-1 regulations, which are currently on pause, go into effect without change. We mention the below to help keep you informed and to encourage you to reach out to iss@lesley.edu to discuss your case as soon as possible.

Undergraduate students cannot change their major during their first year of a program of study, unless SEVP authorizes an exception for extenuating circumstances.

Graduate students cannot change their major at any point during their program of study.

The 9/15/26 DHS F-1 regulations, prohibit F-1 international students from repeating a degree level, repeating a major or from obtaining an I-20 to move backward to a lower educational level (e.g., moving from a Master’s program down to a Bachelor's or Associate program). Students can only request Upward Progression I-20s. (e.g., moving from a Bachelor’s to a Master's, or a Master’s to a Doctoral program).

The above-mentioned restrictions on repeating a degree level or doing a backward progression degree will only apply if the above-mentioned DHS F-1 regulations, which are currently on pause, go into effect without change. We mention these proposed restrictions to keep you informed and to encourage you to reach out to iss@lesley.edu to discuss your case as soon as possible.

Please NOTE: On September 14, 2026, the Massachusetts District Court blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) F-1 Duration of Status Rule from going into effect on September 15^th.  This is not a permanent elimination of the proposed regulations that were scheduled to go into effect on 09/15/26. Our recommendation is for you to continue planning with the assumption that proposed rules could eventually take place in their original form, as per the following, refer to the first section of this page titled “Attention: New DHS F-1 Rules” for more detailed information on the ruling and pause. And contact iss@lesley.eduto discuss questions specific to your case.

The Low-Residency I-20 is only issued to students who are outside of the US and plan to complete their entire low-residency program from outside of the US. If you have previous F-1 history, contact iss@lesley.edu to review your case for low-residency I-20 eligibility before you start your low-residency program. Please also consider the following low-residency I-20 limitations.

• Students choosing to start their Lesley Master’s program based on a low-residency I-20 will be unable to switch to an in-person Master’s I-20 for same program at a future time. Please also note that the Lesley PhD program is only offered in a low-residency modality.
• The low-residency I-20 permits student to apply for the F-1 student visa.
• The F-1 visa will only allow student to enter the US for a brief period to participate in the 5-14 day low-residency. If you are outside of the US and have a valid F-1 visa issued for a previous school, contact Lesley’s International Student Advisor at iss@lesley.edu to evaluate if your existing visa will be acceptable for the Lesley low-residency program I-20.
• The low-residency I-20/F-1 status permits student to enter the US during the 30-day grace period prior to the low residency I-20 start date to allow them to get settled. It also allows another 60-day grace period from the low-residency I-20 end date to prepare to depart the US. Please note that if the 9/15/26 DHS F-1 regulations, which are currently on pause, are reactivated with their original terms, the 60-day grace period post-completion will be shortened to 30 days. Study from within the US is never permitted during these grace periods.
• The above-mentioned grace periods only apply to students who arrive and fully participate in the residency. Anyone who does not attend the entire/required residency will lose their legal F-1 status, making them ineligible for any grace period.
• Deferral I-20 requests can only be considered after Lesley International Student Services’ review of pending F-1 visa application.
• In the case of visa denials, the student will be unable to continue with the residency because they will be unable to fulfill the in-person residency component. They will receive an official Lesley transcript with the listed earned credits to date.
• Cost of low-residency courses taken remotely from outside of the US before the start of the first in-person residency, will not be refunded should the student’s F-1 visa application be denied. Additionally, all Lesley admissions and F-1 application-related fees will be non-refundable.
• Low-residency students on the F-1 status will be unable to work, study, or participate in internship or research from within the US. They will not be eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT).
• Lesley does not issue Transfer or Reinstatement I-20s for low-residency programs.
• Lesley does not issue F-2 dependent I-20s for low-residency programs.
• It is prohibited to participate in a low-residency program from within the US, on a tourist, visitor, or business, visa status (B, WB, WT, ESTA), as these are not intended for any type of study from within the US.
• If you are currently in the US on a non-F-1 status, check with your immigration attorney before participating in a low-residency program to avoid jeopardizing your current immigration status or any pending or intended future petition with USCIS.
• If you are currently on another school’s Form I-20 sponsorship, it does not permit you to take Lesley courses (online, in-person, or hybrid) including participation in a Lesley low-residency program, until you receive the formal Lesley low-residency I-20.

The Lesley Threshold Programs are designed to provide neurodiverse individuals with independent living and working skills to help prepare them to live strong, independent lives. Of the various Threshold programs offered, only the Threshold Core Program is I-20 eligible. Threshold Core program students on the Lesley I-20/F-1 sponsorship must maintain 18 classroom clock hours per week each fall and spring semester for the duration of the two-year program. The 18 clock hours will include instruction, mentoring and independent living courses, as well as internship hours in the second, third and fourth semesters. The Core Threshold program is considered a post-secondary non-degree certificate program, and therefore, not eligible for F-1, post-completion optional practical training (OPT) work authorization. Additionally, Lesley University does not issue Reinstatement or Change of Status I-20s for the Threshold Programs.

The only Lesley graduate program in Education that is I-20 eligible is the PhD low-residency program. Refer to the “Lesley Low-Residency I-20 Eligibility” section of this page for more detailed information on how to apply for a low-residency I-20.

All other Lesley graduate programs in Education are not I-20 eligible.

For a graduate certificate program to be I-20 eligible, it must offer the requisite “in-person” course offerings for the duration of the program, consisting of 9 credits, of which only three credits can be online.

Because of above requirement, the 15-credit graduate certificate I-20 is not always possible due to fluctuating in-person course offerings on a per semester basis. Lesley’s International Student Advisor will require a detailed Study Plan from the academic department to help evaluate I-20 eligibility.

The 36-credit Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) is more likely to be I-20 eligible because of its increased in-person course offerings.

Neither of the above-mentioned 15 or 36 graduate certificate programs have an internship, practicum, or fieldwork requirement. Therefore, students will not be eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization or other type of work or internship authorization (hybrid, online, or in-person).

Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) eligibility will be based on student’s previous F-1 history. Since OPT can only be issued “once” per academic level and only for “higher” degree level, most students enrolled in a graduate certificate program will not qualify for OPT.

Students taking a graduate certificate program as a path to a Lesley Master’s degree should also be aware that the masters’ programs follow specific course and internship sequencing, which could delay student’s eligibility to start a required internship. Student must also continue to comply with the F-1 full-time in person requirements each fall and spring semester.

Both graduate certificate programs must qualify within the parameters of the  9/15/26 DHS F-1 regulations, which do not permit a student to repeat a degree level or a major or to do a degree at a lower level. The new regulations also impose a four-year maximum study period which would encompass the time in a graduate certificate and master’s degree. For these reasons, it is important that you contact iss@lesley.edu to help evaluate your course of study carefully, based on your previous F-1 history and future academic plans. As previously mentioned, refer to the first section of this page titled “Attention: New DHS F-1 Rules” for more detailed information on the ruling and current temporary pause. And contact iss@lesley.eduto discuss questions specific to your case.

International students who are non-US citizens or US Permanent Residents should note that there is not a specific post-graduation immigration status for the sole purpose of fulfilling post-graduation professional licensure work requirements. Review the Lesley Licensure & Credentialing Information and discuss the option of completing all or part of your post-graduation licensure requirements from outside of the US with your Lesley academic advisor before starting your Lesley graduate program.

Also contact the Lesley International Student Advisor at iss@lesley.edu to review any previous US F-1 immigration history, including issuance of any previous Optional Practical Training (OPT) for Master’s or higher-level degree to determine your eligibility to apply for OPT work authorization upon completion of your Lesley Master’s program.

Although Lesley has issued one-semester Exchange Student I-20s with its partner schools in the past, there is currently a pause on Exchange Student I-20s until further notice.

Students seeking to begin their Lesley program at a later term from which they were originally accepted, due to personal reasons or visa delays, will be withdrawn from the university, and any I-20 issued will be cancelled accordingly. Students can contact their Lesley admissions counselor to assist with the reapplication process. Once the student’s Lesley application has been reactivated for a new fall session “I” or spring session “I” start date, the Lesley International Student Advisor will assist with re-issuance of a new I-20. The student may need to repay the Form I-20 SEVIS fee. Additionally, the Lesley enrollment deposit and all I-20 and F-1 visa related fees are non-refundable, regardless of the visa outcome.

Please review this page in its entirety and contact Lesley International Student Services (ISS) at iss@lesley.edu. We will help evaluate your I-20 eligibility based on previous F-1 history and the Lesley program you were accepted into or are planning to apply to. We can also provide the I-20 International Student Estimate of Expenses specific to your academic program. Although we cannot guarantee your I-20 eligibility, we can help evaluate your case at any point during your Admissions process. We are here to assist you with your questions, and we can also refer you to a list of immigration resources at your request.