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Student Visa (Academic F-1 Visa)
This F- 1 student visa is available
to anyone seeking to enter the United States for the
purpose of engaging in a full time academic programme.
It extends to persons enrolled at the elementary school
level through the postgraduate and doctorate level of
university education.
The visa lasts for as long as the
duration of the academic programme plus an additional
60 days. The student may enter the US up to 30 days
before the commencement of the course of study. If she
intends to engage in another course of study after the
completion of the current programme, she must apply
to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
for an extension of the visa.
Before applying for the visa, the
student must have been accepted by an approved educational
institution in the USA and submitted form I-20A-B and
also form DS-156, which is a general non-immigrant (temporary)
visa application form. However, on occasion, the student
may enter the USA on a B-2 visa because they have not
yet chosen a particular institution.
A prospective student must
prove to the U.S consulate that they have sufficient
funds to pay for the educational programme as well as
their maintenance for the duration of the programme.
The funds must be currently available and not be based
on speculation of funding. .
It is very important to supply proof
of temporary intent to stay in the USA. The Visa officer
will require evidence showing that the prospective student
has strong ties to their home country as assurance of
temporary intent to stay within the United States. A
home to return to after the completion of the studies,
an offer of employment on return from the states and
family ties are examples of the type of evidence that
show intent to return to the home country.
Student visa (Non-Academic M-1
Visa)
The M-1 student visa is issued
to a student who intends to engage in a course of study
that is not principally academic in nature. The student
must be accepted by an established and recognised non-academic
institution.
The beneficiary of an M-1 visa may remain in the states for the required length of
the course of study plus an additional 30 days or for
one year, which ever is less. Thus, the visa holder
cannot remain in the states for more than a year.
The visa holder may only work if the
employment is part of the course of study and the employment
has been approved in advance by the BCIS. The holder
of an M-1 visa must submit form I-20 M-N.
Spouses and dependants of the student
may acquire derivative visas (F-2 or M-2 Visas). They
may also engage in a course of study.
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