F-1 & M-1 Visas

Educational opportunities may vary from country to country and sometimes, you may discover that the education that truly suits your needs and interests can be found abroad. In most, but not all cases, if you are an academic student seeking to study at an American educational institution, the F-1 Visa is the one you want to apply for.

It should be noted that there are two kinds of student visas: F-1 Visas and M-1 visas. The F-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa for academic students who want to enroll in either an academic institution or in a language training program. The institutions and programs can include an accredited college, university, secondary, primary, or any other institutions authorized for academic study by the U.S. government.

While the more uncommon of the two, M-1 visas is a nonimmigrant visa for students seeking to enroll in programs and curriculums that are vocational or other kinds of non-academic programs (excluding language training programs) that do not fall into any of the above categories. The programs must receive approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or the USCIS. Although not all cases are like this, M-1 visas are typically issued for those seeking to enroll in community and junior colleges with technical training programs.

Students may pursue employment during the duration of their visa, but the type of employment that they are eligible for is limited. During the first year of enrollment in your respective university, the only employment allowed under visa terms are those on campus. Afterward, students may pursue a wider range of employment outside the campus for the purposes of training or with an academic goal in mind. It must be noted, however, that such employment must receive approval by your Designated School Official and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS. The hours depend on when your university is in session and the circumstances of your financial situation.

During your studies in the United States, you may find yourself wanting to continue your stay beyond your student visa duration. We have many clients who wish to make changes to their visa status to reflect their desire for a prolonged stay or the changes to their situation.

Many of our clients so far are looking to change their nonimmigrant visa status from visitor to student, H visa to student, etc and we have successfully advocated on their behalf. The process requires a great deal of punctuality, so it’s best to get a representative who is dedicated to keeping your application on schedule. To learn more about other nonimmigrant visas, check out the rest of our immigration section in the practice area.

By scheduling a consultation with one of our many well-versed and experienced immigration attorneys at our Fremont and San Francisco office locations, you can begin the journey towards realizing your educational dreams and aspirations. Our leading attorney, Derek Lim is fluent in multiple languages: English, Chinese Mandarin and Cantonese, Thai, and Laotian.