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Education VISA IN USA for Students |
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There are two
nonimmigrant visa categories for people who want to study in the
USA. The primary visa is an "F" visa which is for 'academic'
studies, and the second one is an "M" visa is for 'nonacademic or
vocational' studies. |
Course
Eligibility
You must have successfully completed a course of study which is
typically required for enrollment. Unless you are coming to
participate exclusively in an English language training program, you
must either be sufficiently proficient in English to pursue the
intended course of study, or the school must have made special
arrangements for English language courses or teach the course in
your native language.
Financial
Funding
You must prove that you have sufficient funds or that funds will
be available from an identified and reliable financial source to
cover the costs of your living and school expenses during the
entire period of anticipated study in the United States. |
Approved
Educational Institutions & Forms
If you are coming to the USA to study, you must be accepted for
a full course of study by an educational institution which is
‘approved’ by the INS. The institution you will be attending
must send you a Form I-20A-B, Certificate of Eligibility for
Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status for Academic and Language
Students. If you are applying for the nonacademic or vocational
visa (M-1), the institution must send you a Form I-20M-N,
Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status For
Vocational Students. The Educational institution you will be
attending can obtain Forms I-20A-B and I-20M-N from the INS. |
Who is
NOT Eligible
The nonimmigrant visa application Form DS-156 lists classes of
persons who are ineligible under U.S. law to receive visas. In
some instances an applicant who is ineligible, but who is
otherwise properly classifiable as a student, may apply for a
waiver of ineligibility and be issued a visa if the waiver is
approved. |
How to
Apply for a Student Visa
You should generally apply to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate
which has jurisdiction over your place of permanent residence.
Although visa applicants may apply at any U.S. consular office
abroad, it may be more difficult to qualify for the visa outside
the country of permanent residence. |
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Required Documents
1) An application Form DS-156, completed and signed. (See below
for details on obtaining FREE Forms and for current processing
fees)
2) A passport valid
for travel to the United States and with a validity date at
least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the USA.
If more than one person is included in the passport, each person
desiring a visa must make an application;
3) One photograph 1
and 1/2 inches square (37x37mm) for each applicant, showing full
face, without head covering, against a light background; and
4) For the "F"
applicant, a Form I-20A-B. For the "M" applicant, a Form
I-20M-N.
5) Evidence of
sufficient funds.
You must pay a
nonrefundable application fee (see Forms and Fees below).
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Other
Documentation Required
You must show to the satisfaction of the consular officer that
you have binding ties to a residence in a foreign country which
you have no intention of abandoning, and that you will depart
the USA when you have completed your studies (i.e. you must show
that you intend to return to your homeland after you have
completed your studies in the USA).
Employment issues while on a Student Visa
An F-1 student can NOT accept off-campus employment at any time
during the first year of study; however, the INS may give you
permission to accept off-campus employment after the first year.
However, F-1 students can accept on-campus employment from the
school without INS permission. Except for temporary employment
for practical training, an M-1 student may not accept
employment.
Bringing Family Members
Your spouse and unmarried children may also be classified for a
nonimmigrant visa to accompany you to the USA. All family
members must meet all visa eligibility requirements, including
showing the INS that they will have sufficient financial funds
for their support, and that they will depart the U.S. when your
student education program finishes. Spouses and children of
students may not accept employment at any time while in the USA.
Forms Emquiries
You can obtain Forms I-20A-B and I-20M-N from the educational
institution. If the institution does not have the forms, it
should contact the local INS office.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please note that you can NOT obtain an F-1 visa to attend a U.S.
public elementary or middle school (K-8). Anyone who wants to
attend public high school (grades 9-12) in the USA on a student
visa (F-1), must submit evidence that the local school district
has been paid in advance for the unsubsidized per capita cost of
the education. Also, attendance at U.S. public high schools
cannot exceed a total of 12 months.
Also you can NOT be issued an F-1 visa in order to attend a
publicly-funded adult education program. |
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