F-1 Student Visa

The F-1 Visa allows you to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training program.  You must be enrolled in a program or course of study that culminates in a degree, diploma, or certificate and your school must be authorized by the U.S. government to accept international students.

To stay in the US with F-1 visa, you must be:

1. Enrolled in an "academic" educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational (M-1) program;
2. Your school must be approved by USCIS;
3. You must be enrolled as a full-time student;
4. You must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses leading to English proficiency;
5. You must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study;
6. You must maintain a residence abroad with no intention of abandoning it.

M-1 Student Visa

The M-1 visa (Vocational Student) category includes students in vocational or other nonacademic programs, other than language training.

Employment

F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year, but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. There are various programs available for F-1 students to seek off-campus employment, after the first academic year. F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment, after they have studying for one academic year. These three types of employment are:

1. Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
2. Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion)
3. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT)
4. M-1 students may engage in practical training only after they have completed their studies.

For both F-1 and M-1 students any off-campus employment must be related to their area of study and must be authorized prior to starting any work by the Designated School Official (the person authorized to maintain the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)) and USCIS.

Spouses and family members of students may enter the U.S. with the principal student in the F-2 non-immigrant visa category; however, they are not permitted to work. F-1 students are not subject to any special requirement to return to their home countries for two years prior to accepting employment here as a nonimmigrant or prior to immigrating.