The universities and colleges in the United States attract some of the brightest students from all over the world with their state-of-the-art facilities, advanced research, and stringent academic rigor. Before foreign students will be permitted to study in the United States, however, they must first obtain the F-1 visa status. The F-1 visa will allow students to remain in the U.S. for the duration of their studies.
If you plan on attending a college or university in the United States, you need the assistance of an Austin immigration attorney with the Law Office of William Jang, PLLC, to mitigate any possibility of a procedural error interfering with your plans for your education and your future.
Basic Requirements:
The F-1 visa status is available to foreign students who wish to attend a university or college in the United States. To be eligible, students must enroll in what is termed a “full course of study” in an academic program—excluding any vocational program—that is approved to accept foreign students. Schools that are approved by the Department of Homeland Security will have the authority to issue Form I-20.
Applicants must either be enrolled in an English language course or posses proficiency in the language already. Moreover, applicants must comply with all restrictions regarding their course of study at a public school. Beneficiaries of the F-1 status will not be eligible to work in the United States without prior approval.
To be eligible for this visa status, applicants must possess the financial means to support themselves for the duration of their stay, maintain foreign residency, and intend to leave the United States once their studies have been completed.
Duration of Stay:
When the F-1 visa status is granted, there is no definitive period of time that the visa will be good for; rather, F-1 visa holders will be eligible to remain in the United States for the “Duration of Status,” which means that the visa will be valid so long as the student remains enrolled in and in attendance of an approved academic program.
Family Members:
The derivative F-2 status is available to the spouse and children of individuals who obtain the F-1 visa. To be eligible, children must be under 21 years old and not married. Children who are eligible for the F-2 derivative status will be able to attend elementary and secondary schools. However, no one with F-2 status will be eligible to work in the United States.
Fees:
When filing for this visa status in the U.S. and with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Austin immigration attorneys with the Law Office of William Jang, PLLC, will charge the following in attorney’s fees (please read the disclaimer at the top of this page), in addition to the filing fee currently charged by the USCIS:
Change Status in the USA:
- $3,000 attorney’s fees
- $370 USCIS filing fee
- $85 biometrics fee for each family member (if applicable)
- $200 for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee
Application outside of USA at a Consular Office:
- $3,000 in attorney’s fees for the immigration application
- $1,000 in attorney’s fees for family’s application (if any family is also applying)
- $160 + Reciprocity Fee per person US Consular fees
What will I need to begin the process?
F-1 Application Information and Document
If you are not already in the United States, you will need this additional F visa application information and documentation at a Consulate office.
Consult with an F-1 Visa/Status Attorney in Austin
Whether you plan on attending a university in Austin or anywhere else in the United States, our Austin F-1 visa lawyers at the Law Office of William Jang, PLLC, can help you pursue the visa status you will need to do so (please take a moment to look over a sample of our approved cases). To discuss the particulars of your application with one of our Austin immigration attorneys, please call our Austin offices at (512) 323-2333 today.