What Steps Are Needed To Get A
Student Visa?
Step 1: The first step in obtaining F-1 status is to get accepted
into Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS, formerly
Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS) approved school, college
or university. Most colleges and universities already have BCIS approval
and so do many private grammar school, junior high and high schools .
Prospective students must meet the standards set by the school for
admitting international students. For example, many schools require
foreign students to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
as part of the F-1 application process. Schools usually waive the test,
however, if the student is from a country where most residents speak
English. In addition, schools that offer classes in the student's own
language, or classes in English as a Second Language (ESL), do not usually
require the TOEFL.
You need to write to the school of your choice,
obtain an application form, and make an application. The school will then
notify you of your acceptance and send you a Form I-20 to use in applying
for the F-1 visa.
Step 2: After you are accepted at a
school, college or university, you must apply for the F-1 visa at the
American consulate in the country where you are located. At this point, in
addition to submitting the special documents provided to you by the
school, you will also need to show two things:
a) You have enough money or financial support to
study in the U.S. without working, and
b) You do not intend to stay in the United States
permanently.
Showing That You Can Support Yourself While Studying
F-1 students must show that they can pay for
tuition and living expenses before they can obtain a F-1 visa. The INS
Form I-20, which is issued to you by the school, estimates the cost of one
year's study at the school. If you apply for a F-1 visa, you must show
that you have the money to pay the cost of the first year of study. You
must also have dependable financial resources for the remainder of your
educational program.
One way you can prove your ability to pay for
education and living expenses is through an Affidavit of Support. Someone
in your immediate family, like a parent, brother, or sister, usually
completes the Affidavit of Support, which should be dated less than six
months from the date it is submitted to the consulate. An Affidavit of
Support from someone other than a member of your immediate family, while
permissible, is not as helpful.
If you have the personal resources to pay for your
own education, you won't need an Affidavit of Support. However, you will
need to show that you can support yourself throughout your course of study
by presenting evidence of bank accounts, a trust or other income that will
cover your tuition and living expenses.
Showing That You Do Not Intent To Stay In The
United States
This is often difficult to do. You must
demonstrate to the consular officer that you have very strong ties to you
home country and that these ties compel you to return after your studies
are over.
This may be done by showing that you have very
close family members who are staying in your home country, such as your
wife and children. Or you may be able to show that you have a good,
stable, high-paying job that will be kept open until you return. You might
also be able to show that you own substantial property or a business that
you have to return to.
Can My Spouse and Children Come With Me While I
Study?
As an F-1 student, your spouse and unmarried
children under the age of 21 years old can come with you to the U.S. in
F-2 status. However, you will need to supply the American Consulate with
significant proof of substantial financial resources, because your family
members will not be entitled to work. In many developing countries,
obtaining F-2 visas is very difficult for the wife and children of an F-1
student. That is because the American Consulate often believes that if the
family accompanies the student to the United States, the student will not
to return home.
Is It Possible To Work While I Am In F-1
Status?
Although to obtain an F-1 visa, you must be able
to support yourself without working, there is the opportunity to work in
certain circumstances. Some forms of employment may be authorized by the
Designated School Official (DSO), while other forms of employment require
approval by BCIS prior to starting work.
On-campus Employment
As an F-1 student you may work up to 20 hours a
week on-campus while school is in session and also full-time during
vacations and breaks. Working on-campus means employment on the school
premises or at an affiliated off-site location. You will need to the DSO
to approve this type of employment.
Off-campus Programs and Internships
The BCIS calls training programs and internships
"curricular practical training." In order to take advantage of
curricular practical training, however, you must participate in a
work-study program that is part of a degree requirement or regular course
of study. In most cases, you cannot qualify for curricular practical
training until you have been enrolled in school for at least nine months.
One exception is if you are enrolled in graduate studies that require
immediate participation in curricular practical training. You will need to
get the DSO approve this type of employment.
"Optional" Practical Training Prior
to Completion of Studies
F-1 students can work off campus in a field
related to their studies if they work no more than 20 hours a week while
school is in session. You can work full-time during vacations and recess
periods. The BCIS will, however, deduct time spent in practical training
prior to completion of studies from the twelve months full-time employment
available for practical training after completion of studies. You will
need to get DSO to approve this type of employment and to apply to BCIS
for a work authorization document.
Practical Training After Completion of Studies
F-1 students are entitled to a maximum of one year
practical training after they complete their studies. The INS deducts time
spent in pre-degree completion practical training from the 12-month
maximum. You will need to get your foreign student advisor to approve this
type of employment and to apply with the Immigration and Naturalization
for a work authorization permit
Employment Authorization Based on Severe Economic
Hardship
Where unforeseen circumstances lead to a change in
your economic situation, you may be able to obtain permission to work
off-campus in any job of your choosing. You can work 20 hours per week
while school is in session or full time during vacation periods. To
qualify, in addition to providing evidence of the unforeseen
circumstances, you must have completed one academic year in F-1 status, be
in good academic standing and obtain employment authorization from the
BCIS.
Other Frequently Asked Questions About F-1 Status
1. Can I get financial aid while in F-1 status?
In general, you will be required to pay for your
education without financial aid. For example, international students are
not eligible for U.S. government and state aid. A few colleges, however,
do provide privately funded scholarships to deserving international F-1
students. In addition, some colleges offer financial aid for students,
particularly graduate students, through J-1 exchange visitor programs.
2. How can I remain in the U.S. after my studies
end?
If you graduate with a Bachelors Degree (a
four-year college degree), you may qualify for H-1B status. H-1B status
allows college graduates to work in a field related to their studies for
up to six years; H-1B status is granted initially for a period of three
years, and can be renewed for an additional three-year period. Often
international students apply to change to H-1B status prior to the end of
their practical training period.
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