The United States welcomes with open arms students from other countries who wish to further their education in the country. Study visa candidates are needed to have their school or programme accept them and give their approval before they can submit their application for a visa. Once a student’s application has been reviewed and accepted, the educational institution will send the relevant approval papers to the applicant so that it may be included in the student visa application.
Details and Requirements for Students Seeking Visas to Study
The F-1 Visitor Visa.
This category of study visa is the one that is requested the most frequently. If you intend to enrol in academic studies in the United States at a recognised institution of higher education, such as a college or university in the United States that is accredited, a private secondary school, or a recognised English language programme, then the type of visa that is best for you is an F-1 Visa. If you want to enrol in a programme that will require you to study for more than 18 hours per week, you will also need an F-1 visa.
The Prerequisites for Obtaining an F1 Student Visa
- You are required to be enrolled in either an educational facility or a language immersion programme.
- You are required to be a full-time student at the institution.
- To be able to enrol international students, the institution must first obtain permission from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE).
- In order to demonstrate that you have sufficient financial support to finish the study.
- You are required to provide evidence that you have no intention of giving up your foreign residency.
You May Very Well Find Employment In The United States.
Students from other countries will be eligible to study in the United States of America if F-1 visas are approved. Yet, there are stringent restrictions placed on the amount of work. Students attending an educational institution on an F-1 visa are typically granted permission to hold jobs on campus for up to 20 hours per week throughout their time there. F-1 students have access to not one, but two different training programmes that can help them gain employment authorisation. Before looking for work in the United States, F1 students are strongly encouraged to consult with a DSO or a Foreign Student Advisor first. This is standard procedure.
M-1 Visa
If you plan to engage in non-academic or vocational study or training at a U.S. school, then the M-1 visa is going to be your best bet for entering the country legally.
According to the requirements outlined in Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, M-1 student candidates have the potential to qualify for a relatively short period of Optional Practical Training—one month for every four months of academic study. To extend their status, M-1 students must complete form I-539 in addition to form I-765 for employment authorisation, whereas F-1 students only need to submit the employment authorisation form. These applications are heard and decided upon at several United States Citizenship and Immigration Service locations located all throughout the country, which may have varying understandings of how the regulations should be applied at times. The following should be included in a candidate’s application for optional practical training:
- Cover letter providing details about the student’s predicament
- Fill complete Form I-765 and enclose a check for $410 made payable to the Department of Homeland Security.
- I-20 form with a request for OPT was signed (copies are not accepted)
- a copy of the original I-20, along with the original financial paperwork, along with a copy of the visa and the photo page 2 of the passport.
- Form I-539 with an up-to-date bank statement and a filing fee of $370 made payable to the Department of Homeland Security
A copy of the front and back of the I-94 card
Because the I-765 and the I-539 will be evaluated in a distinct manner at the service centre, it is highly recommended that you include a copy of each application in your submission. In the event that your I-765 application is successful, you will be issued a card for optional practical training, which is also referred to as an employment authorisation document. If the student’s I-539 application is approved, he or she will be issued a new I-94 departure card. This card serves as evidence that the student has left the United States and must be presented upon departure. Even though the I-94 card has not yet been sent, a student who has obtained an OPT card and has applied for a Social Security Number is able to begin working for pay after taking these steps.
In the event that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services wants additional documentation for either application, they will send a request for evidence to the applicant. Occasionally, these requests are for things that were initially turned in; however, it is advisable to send them in again as soon as possible. Either an approval or a refusal will arrive in a different manner and at a different time than the other.
