What is the F1 Student Visa?
The F1 Visa is suitable for people who are coming to the United States to pursue full-time academic or vocational education. The F-1 category includes students in colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, high schools, other academic institutions, and in language training.
Students in F-1 visa status can:
- Travel in and out of the U.S. (on short trips and return) or remain in the country continuously until the end of their studies.
- Transfer from one school to another by notifying the change to the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) with a new I-20 issued by the transferring educational institution.
- Work lawfully on-campus on a part-time basis.
- Apply to work lawfully off-campus at a position that's related to their area of study OPT (Optional Practical Training).
- Apply for an F-2 visa for family members (Spouse and Children under 21 years). These dependent visa holders can stay in the United States as long as the principal visa holder remains in legal status.
Vacations and trips outsite the US:
An F-1 student at an academic institution is considered to be in status during the annual (or summer) vacation if the student is eligible and intends to register for the next term. A student attending a school on a quarter or trimester calendar who takes only one vacation a year during any one of the quarters or trimesters instead of during the summer is considered to be in status during that vacation, if the student has completed the equivalent of an academic year prior to taking the vacation.
Extension of Optional Training Program for Qualified Students with STEM Degrees and H1B
Qualified F-1 visa holders can extend the period of their OPT (Optional Practical Training) from 12 to 29 months for those students with a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) who are employed by businesses enrolled in the E-Verify program.
The rule also addresses situations in which an F-1 student’s status and work authorization expires before he or she can begin employment under the H1B visa program. The interim final rule addresses this by automatically extending the period of stay and work authorization for all F-1 students with pending H1B petitions. The rule will also implement certain programmatic changes, including allowing students to apply for OPT within 60 days of graduation.
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