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Students and Exchange Visitors
 
Where to find date on Form I-20

Where to find date on Form I-20

Academic Students (F1, F2)

Students planning to pursue degrees in full-time academic programs for bachelors, masters or doctoral programs must obtain F-1 visas.   

Non-Academic Students (M1, M2)

The M-1 visa is for students wishing to pursue non-academic or vocational studies. Typically, these programs are of short duration and lead to professional or vocational certification rather than an academic degree.

Exchange Visitors (J1, J2)

The J-1 visa is for participants in exchange or trainee programs.  Typical J applicants include university professors, researchers, post-doctoral fellows and trainees.  
 
221(e) Foreign Residency Requirement:  Most J visa holders are required to return to their home country for a minimum of two years after completing the terms of their visa.  You can read more about Section 221(e) and exemptions to it here.

Students and exchange visitor rules:

  1. You must have an approved I-20 (for F and M visas) or an approved DS-2019 (for J visas) issued by the school or sponsoring organization in the United States.    
  2. Education USA has more information about obtaining an I-20. 2. If you are earning academic credit at any institution, in the U.S. or abroad, for course work at a U.S. school, even if it is only one course, you will need an F-1, M-1, or J-1 visa.  Some not-for-credit short term professional certification courses and seminars can be attended with a B1/B2 tourist visa.  If you are uncertain about which visa you require, please email support-india@ustraveldocs.com.
  3. You must pay your SEVIS fee before your interview (Dependant visas F-2, J-2 and M-2 are exempt from the SEVIS fee). 
  4. You may not apply for your visa more than 120 days before the program start date on your Form I-20 or DS-2019.  Apply as early as you can!
  5. You may not enter the United States on a student visa more than 30 days before the program start date on your Form I-20 or DS-2019.



How to Apply

Student and exchange visitors must follow the nonimmigrant visa application process.

Science and technology applicants may require administrative processing.  In some cases, administrative processing can take several weeks.  Apply as early as possible to avoid travel delays.

Fees

Complete fee information is available here.

Questions?

Student Resources