Student Visas - USA

The United States is a popular study destination for thousands of student around the world. Some of the world's renowned universities are based here, including the Ivy League universities of which Harvard University is arguably the most famous. To obtain a student visa to the US, an applicant must be admitted to a US school or university before the visa process.

There are many benefits attached to studying abroad and the United States offers an immense wealth of experience and skills. The United States provides diverse options for non-USA nationals who wish to study in the USA. All USA study visas are non-immigrant visas and require the applicant to return to their country of residence at the expiry of their permit.

US Study - Visa Types

The United States of America offers students who intend to work in the US three different types of study visa; the F1 visa for academic studies, the V1 visa for vocational programmes and the J1 visa which is part of a larger group of exchange visas for the USA.

F1 Student Visa

The most popular visa obtained by candidates wishing to study in the US is the F1 study visa. The visa offers candidates to temporarily immigrate to the US in order to study at a recognised educational institution. Similar to the other US visa and employment based Green Cards, the US study visa often requires a sponsor and beyond this, candidates must have a valid and legitimate offer from an accredited educational body in order to apply for the F1 visa.

Requirements: F1 Study Visa

The United states has a smorgasbord of cultures, however the education system's medium of instruction is English and applicants for this visa need to be able to satisfactory gasp the English language to complete their course and must be able to prove that they can financially support themselves while studying in the US. The duration for this study visa is normally the same as the duration of your course, in the case where your student visa expires and you're still in the country you have up to 60 days. Upon application candidates must be provide a variety for different documents to support their application and they have to establish their intention is to return home at the end of their studies. You can usually satisfy the authorities by providing them with evidence that you have a family to go back to or you have been offered employment or are returning to your previous job in the country of residence.

M1 Student Visa

Not all students who enter the US are studying towards their undergraduate degrees. The US has a visa designed for candidates who would like to undertake a specialized field of study. This visa is called the USA M1 student visa and it is designed for students undertaking vocational programmes. Applicants for this visa need to prove that they have been accepted at a recognised institution as full time students, can communicate effectively using the English language and that they will be able to fund their studies an living costs. M1 visas are granted for either one year, or the time taken to complete the course plus 30 days, whichever is less.

J1 Student Visa

The J1 visa is one of the most popular visas and it forms part of the J visas group which includes au pairs, specific working holiday agreements and cultural exchanges. For students, J1 visas are designed to allow candidates to undergo practical training which is directly relevant to their academic studies outside the USA but which is not available in their country of residence. The visa will be granted for the duration of your course but one of the benefits of this visa is that if a candidate received a job offer they may switch into other categories such as the H1-B visa which allows you a working visa if you have an offer of employment from a US company.

Working in the USA under student visas

Candidates under the J1 visa are at times eligible to switch to a USA work visa, undertaking work in the US whilst on a student visa status is generally not permitted. The F1 visas however do allow its holders to engage in limited employment so long as the work is conducted on campus. However, in the cases of M1 and J1 visas, work is only permitted if it forms an integral part of the training for which the applicant is present in the USA. Many university offer on-campus work for students this may be beneficial for candidates who hold the F1 visa.

Spouse Immigration and Dependent Immigration

It is important to note that none of the US student visas are intended for permanent residency, the student visas require all holders to return to their country of residence when the duration of their visa expires. However, for those applicants who have spouses and/or children and are studying in the US, they may apply for their spouses and/or children to travel to the United States with the main applicant and remain for the same duration. In most cases, these relatives will be granted a derivative M2 visa, J2 visa or F2 visa depending on the status of the principle applicant and may be able to live and work in the USA during their time in America as long as they for work authorisation.

Find out whether you qualify for a US student visa now by visiting the Global Visas online assessment area. Simply complete our quick and easy assessment form and one of our immigration consultants will contact you directly.