E-mail: donrandles@gmail.com
STUDENTS
"F," "J," and "M" STUDENT VISAS
"F" VISA Requirements
- Academic Students
- Students must maintain their residence outside the United States. They
are required to maintain this
throughout the duration of their stay.
- The applicant (student) is entering temporarily and solely for the purpose of
pursuing a course of study at an established institution of learning or other recognized
place of study in the United States.
- The applicant is a real student, qualified to pursue a full course of study.
- The applicant will study only at an institution designated by the applicant
and the institution is one approved by the Attorney General of the United States.
The educational institution must meet certain requirements and must report on their
foreign students.
- The applicant is not permitted to attend a public elementary school or publicly funded adult education program. The student will not attend a public secondary school, unless the student attends the secondary school for a period not in excess of 12 months and demonstrates that they have reimbursed the school for the full, unsubsidized cost of the education
An "F" visa student should have sufficient financial support as the United States government does not want the student to be a financial burden to the American society. The student should have some knowledge of English or be enrolled in a program of study to make the student proficient in the English language.
"J" VISA Requirements
A
"J" visa is an exchange visitor visa. This person is a:
-
foreign trainee
student
professor
research scholar
short-term scholar
non-academic specialist
foreign physician
international visitor
government visitor, or
camp counselor, or
summer student
in travel or a work program who is entering in the United States to participate in an exchange visitor program that has been designated by the United States Information Agency (USIA) and this person can teach, study, observe, conduct research, consult, receive training, etc. This can be for scholars, medical students, research students or camp counselors. The person should have sufficient funds to cover their period of stay and should have some fluency in the English language. After September 1, 1994, the person should maintain medical insurance for accident and illness for the participant and "J" family members in a minimum amount of $50,000 per accident or illness.
Au Pair ("J")
There's an Au Pair Program that permits 22,720 youths from abroad to be placed with American host families seeking child care
There is a problem with "J" visas in that certain "J" visa holders, and I mean certain visa holders are required to return to their home country or country of last residence upon completion of training. If you are a "J" and don't know whether you go back or not, then contact my office and we can discuss this matter. You can contact my office either over the telephone or via e-mail. It is also possible to get a waiver and this can be discussed.
"M" VISA Requirements
An "M" visa is a vocational student visa. It has the same requirements as the F visa except the study takes place at a vocational, non-academic institution. This would cover a student who is studying in a community college, where I spent many years in school getting my education, study at a business school or a post-secondary vocational secondary school. Usually the magic number is 12 semester units and, if it is a study in a vocational or non-academic program, it is 18 hours a week in the classroom, and 22 hours if predominately in a shop or a lab. It could be study in a vocational or other non-academic high school for not less than the minimum number of hours for the normal progress toward the degree. Usually you can stay for the time necessary to complete the course, plus 30 days, or 1 year, whichever is less.