Can international students study via distance without applying for a visa? If an international student wants to study in a US degree program (AA, BA, MA, PhD, etc.), but entirely on-line while living in their home country, and without ever entering the US, can they skip all of the visa-related paperwork?
Distance learning students who will not enter the United States are not required to get a U.S. visa. In fact, by federal law, online-only students are not eligible for a student visa.