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Jacksonville Immigration Lawyer

Student Visa: F Visa / F1 Visa / F-1 Visa

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides two non-immigrant visa categories for students who seek to study in Jacksonville, Florida or anywhere else in the United States. The F visa is reserved for individuals wishing to pursue academic studies and/or language training programs, while the M visa is reserved for individuals wishing to pursue non-academic, or vocational studies.

General Eligibility Requirements- foreign students who wish to study in the U.S. may enter in the F1 or M1 category provided they meet the following criteria:

•The student must be enrolled in an academic, educational, language, or vocational program.

•The school attended by non-immigrant must be approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services;

•The student must be enrolled as a full-time student at the institution;

•The student must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses leading to English proficiency;

•The student must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the proposed course of study; and

•The student must maintain a residence abroad which he/she has no intention of giving up.

Who Qualifies for an F Student Visa? INA Section 101(a)(15)(F) defines an F category non-immigrant as an alien (who has residence in a foreign country which he or she has no intention of abandoning) who seeks to temporarily enter the United States for the sole purpose of pursuing a full course of study at an established college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, or language training school approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Spouses or children of a qualifying non-immigrant student may also apply for an F visa if accompanying or following to join the primary nonimmigrant student.

How Do I Obtain an F Student Visa? In order to apply for a F visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, a prospective non-immigrant student must first have a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) generated document (Form I-20) issued by a U.S. college or university or Department of State-designated sponsor organization. You will be required to submit this form when you apply for a visa. The U.S. academic institution or program sponsor will provide you with the appropriate SEVIS generated form only when you have been academically admitted to the institution or accepted as a participant in an exchange program. The institution or program sponsor will also send you additional information about applying for the appropriate visa, as well as other guidance about beginning your academic program in the United States.

It should be noted that issuance of the Form I-20 does not itself confer F1 Student Visa status. Once you have all the required documentation, you must apply for a visa (unless the prospective student is already lawfully present in the United States on another type of non-immigrant visa, in which case he or she may seek a change of status to an F category non-immigrant). The application procedures for obtaining a visa are listed on most U.S. embassy web sites. For country-specific information, visit the State Department's Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions web-page.

Hussein & Webber, P.L. provides legal representation in all areas of U.S. Immigration and Nationality law. If you are facing an immigration issue, contact an experienced Jacksonville immigration lawyer today. All consultations with our Jacksonville immigration lawyer are free and confidential.