STUDENT VISAS
Hundreds of thousands of people come to the United States from around the world to study and improve their skills. Numerous programs provide a wide variety of learning opportunities. Students interested in studying in the United States must be admitted to a U.S. school or university before starting the visa process.
Student visa is awarded to an alien who possesses a residence in a foreign country which he/she has no intention of abandoning, who is coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. The alien has to have a valid educational reason for coming to the United States, and has to be able to support himself or herself while in the United States without working.
Student visas are issued for the period it takes the visitor to complete his/her course of study, program or work assignment.
There are three types of student visas:
- F Visa – Academic Studies: For people who have been accepted into a program to study or conduct research at an accredited U.S. college or university.
- J Visa – Academic Studies as an Exchange Visitor: For people who have been accepted into a program through a designated sponsoring organization to participate in an exchange visitor program in the U.S. The "J" visa is for educational and cultural exchange programs. The J1 exchange visitor program is designed to promote the interchange of persons, knowledge, and skills in the fields of education, arts, and sciences.
- M Visa – Non-Academic or Vocational Studies: For people who have been accepted into a program to study or train at a non-academic institution in the U.S. The M-1 visa gives a great opportunity for students to train in a positive U.S. environment and strengthen their technical and non-academic skills. The M-1 visa is given to students who wish to pursue full-time study at a USCIS approved vocational or non-academic school in the United States, such as community and junior colleges that give vocational and technical training.
Visa processing can be difficult and confusing. If you would like the assistance of an experienced immigration lawyer, please contact us or call our office at 1-415-601-0210 to schedule a consultation today.
Legal Disclaimer
Content on this site is intended for generalized information reasons. It may become out of date at any time due to changes in the law. It is not intended to offer case-specific legal advice nor should it be deemed valid or accurate for that reason. If in fact you have an exact immigration related legal issue, we recommend you consult with an experienced immigration attorney or immigration lawyer. There exists disclaimers throughout our website stating that we are not an official U.S. Government website.
Contact San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Marko Mikin.
Copyright © 2009 Marko Mikin, Attorney at Law. All rights reserved.
