Change of Status: All you need to know about getting your F1 Visa

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But, first of all… What is a “Change of Status”?

It is an application where you will request to change the purpose of your visit to the U.S while being in the country. For instance, if you have come as a tourist, but later on you decided to study, you can either return to your country and apply for a student visa from your native country or you can apply for a change of status in the US.

What are the requirements?

The general requirements given by the USCIS (U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services) are:

  • You have to be lawfully admitted to the United States with a non-immigrant visa;

    • Individuals that have not come to the U.S with a non-immigrant visa are considered to be in an unlawful presence therefore they are not eligible for a change of status. Also, citizens from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program, that is, countries that are not required to apply for a visa to travel to the US, are also ineligible to apply for a change of status.

  • You have not violated any conditions of your status;

  • You have not committed any crimes that would make you ineligible;

What are the costs?

As an example, individuals interested in applying for a change of status with our school (International Educational Center) should be ready to pay at least the following fees:

  • I-20 fee (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status) - $ 250

o  If you have any dependents, then you must pay more $ 100 for each of them.

  • SEVIS fee (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) - $ 350

  • I-539 fee (Application To Extend/Change Non-immigrant Status) - $ 370 (for each applicant);

o  Dependents (spouse or children) are not required to pay the I-539 fee.

  • Biometrics services fee: $85 (for F1 applicant);       

Change of Status Processing Time (How long does it take?):

There is no exact answer to it. However, normally it takes from four months to one year to get your change of status application approved.

But what are the steps that I should take to become an F1 student ?

First Step:

You will have to get an I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status), however this form is only given by Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified schools. In other words, not all schools are eligible to provide I-20s.

Once you find a certified school, you have to submit a few documents in order to be accepted and get your I-20 form.

When it comes to their requirements, you might encounter a couple differences depending on the school you are applying for, however it is often requested:

a) A copy of your passport;

b) A copy of your entry visa;

c) A copy of your I-94 form (Arrival/Departure record) which can be issued here;

d) A copy of your high school or university diploma translated into English;

e) Evidence of financial support document;

  • When it comes to evidence of financial support, the applicant can either prove that he/she can support him/herself by providing a bank statement with his/her name on it, showing the total amount requested by the institution (it varies depending on your program’s cost) or the applicant can have a sponsor. In case of having a sponsor, he or she can be either from abroad (your or any other country) or an American citizen or green card holder. However, besides the bank statement, the applicant must ask the sponsor to sign a form that is provided by the school or I-134 (Affidavit of Support Form).

After you have given all documents, you must also pay the I-20 fee to the designated school.

Second Step:

With the I-20 in hands, the next step is to fill out the I-539 form (Change of Status application), make the payment of the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee and submit your application.

When filling out the I-539 form, you can do it by yourself, although we suggest you hire an immigration attorney.

It is also recommended to apply for an extension of your current visa when you apply for a change of status from B2 to F1 due to the requirements that you must be in status at the time of your application.

Conclusion

To sum up, if you are currently in the U.S and you have been thinking about staying longer to pursue an ESL course or any other course, you will definitely have to apply for a change of status. The procedure is not complex, however, the results depends on each applicant’s situation. You may want to consider hiring professional help to navigate you throughout the process.