Commutable Distance Policy for F-1 Students
During the academic year, including while on CPT, all F-1 students are required to live within commuting distance to campus, at the local address that they have reported in NEST. A student should travel no farther than 75 miles to campus to be considered within commuting distance. F-1 students who do not have regular face-to-face classes or meetings with their advisors or GPCs/DPDs can be in violation of their F-1 status and therefore risk having their SEVIS records terminated.
FAQs:
- Can I live outside of the designated commuting distance when I only have dissertation/thesis credit left to complete? OGE considers dissertation and thesis credit classes to be face-to-face. When graduate students are taking only dissertation/thesis credit with full-time certification, approved by OGE through the Reduced Course Load request, they must report to their GPC or DPD regularly, therefore must continue to reside within the defined commutable distance.
- What happens if I need to travel for an extended time to conduct research or gather data as part of my academic study? Students must travel for an extended period or live outside of commuting distance to Montclair State University to conduct research or gather data, the students’ GPC or DPD must be able to clearly justify the academic reasons for the students’ distance. Writing drafts of a dissertation/thesis are not considered academic reasons. If F-1 students must travel internationally to conduct research or gather data, they must report this information to OGE since this can affect their immigration status.