F-1 Academic Student
Lets a foreign national enroll full-time as an academic student at a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), including colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, academic high schools, and language-training programs leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. It is the primary US student visa category.
- Срок
- Historically admitted for 'duration of status' (D/S) - as long as the student maintained a full course of study, with no fixed end date on the I-94. Under the DHS final rule published July 17, 2026, effective September 15, 2026, new F-1 admissions will instead get a fixed period tied to the Form I-20 program end date, not to exceed 4 years, plus a 30-day arrival window and a 30-day departure window (down from the prior 60-day post-completion grace period). English-language-training programs are capped at 24 months of admission; public-high-school enrollment is capped at an aggregate 12 months.
- Продление
- Students who need more time (to finish a program, start a new one, or engage in post-completion OPT/STEM OPT) beyond their fixed Admit Until date must file Form I-539 for an Extension of Stay (EOS) with USCIS, or depart and seek a new admission from CBP. Current students admitted under duration of status before the rule's effective date may remain, without an EOS, until their I-20 program end date or the end of authorized post-completion OPT/STEM OPT, not to exceed November 14, 2030 (4 years plus a 60-day departure period from the effective date).
- Работа
- On-campus employment up to 20 hours/week while school is in session (full-time allowed during official breaks); not permitted off-campus in the first academic year. After the first academic year: Curricular Practical Training (CPT, tied to the curriculum, authorized by the DSO, no separate USCIS approval, unlimited hours but 1+ year of full-time CPT eliminates OPT eligibility at that education level); pre-completion OPT (up to 20 hours/week while school is in session, full-time during breaks); and post-completion OPT (12 months total, full-time or at least 20 hours/week), extendable by 24 months for qualifying STEM degrees at an E-Verify employer. OPT requires a DSO recommendation on the I-20 plus an approved Form I-765 and EAD before starting work.
- Двойное намерение
- Нет
- Члены семьи
- Spouse and unmarried minor children may accompany on F-2 status; each receives an individual Form I-20 (no SEVIS fee required for them). F-2 dependents may not work. F-2 dependents may study only avocational or recreational courses, including full-time; enrolling in a genuine full course of study (academic or vocational) requires first changing status to F-1, M-1, or J-1.
- Путь к грин-карте
- No direct path. F-1 is nonimmigrant-only and requires nonimmigrant intent; a student wishing to immigrate permanently must separately qualify under an immigrant category (often after transitioning through H-1B or another dual-intent work visa via employer sponsorship).
- Срок рассмотрения
- Consular interview wait times and visa processing vary widely by post and time of year; Form I-539 and Form I-765 processing times vary by USCIS service center - specific current figures were not independently verified here (unverified)
Кто подходит
- A prospective full-time student accepted by a SEVP-certified school in an academic program or language-training program
- Someone proficient in English, or enrolled in courses leading to English proficiency
- Someone with sufficient funds for self-support during the entire course of study
- Someone maintaining a residence abroad they do not intend to give up
Требования
- Acceptance and a Form I-20 issued by a SEVP-certified school after SEVIS registration
- Full-time enrollment in an academic or language-training program
- English proficiency, or enrollment in English-proficiency coursework
- Demonstrated financial ability to cover the full course of study
- Nonimmigrant intent: a residence abroad with no intention of abandoning it
- Payment of the SEVIS I-901 fee before the visa interview
- As of June 2025, applicants must set all social media account privacy settings to 'public' to facilitate State Department vetting
Как подать
- 1
Gain acceptance to a SEVP-certified school and be registered in SEVIS so the school can issue Form I-20
- 2
Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee ($350) and keep the payment confirmation
- 3
Complete Form DS-160 online and pay the MRV visa fee
- 4
Set social media account privacy settings to public before the interview, per the 2025 vetting requirement
- 5
Schedule and attend a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate, bringing the I-20, DS-160 confirmation, SEVIS fee receipt, and financial evidence
- 6
Enter the US no earlier than 30 days before the program start date on the I-20
- 7
After the rule's September 15, 2026 effective date: track the fixed Admit Until date on the I-94 and, if more time is needed, work with the DSO to file a timely Form I-539 EOS with USCIS or plan a departure/re-admission
Сборы и формы
| SEVIS I-901 fee (F or M visa applicants, full payment) | $350 |
| Nonimmigrant visa application fee (MRV), F category | $185.00 |
| Form I-539 (EOS or dependents' change/extension of status) | $420 online; $470 paper |
| Form I-765 (OPT/STEM OPT employment authorization) | $470 online; $520 paper |
| Visa Integrity Fee (H.R. 1 / Public Law 119-21, sec. 100007) | at least $250 per nonimmigrant visa issued, refundable if conditions met - statutory as of July 4, 2025 but as of September 2026 not yet operational (unverified implementation date) |
Form I-20 (issued by school)DS-160Form I-901 (SEVIS fee payment)Form I-539 (extension of stay / dependents)Form I-765 (OPT/STEM OPT EAD)
Что изменилось в 2025 и 2026 годах
- 2025-06-18: State Department announced expanded screening and vetting for F, M, and J visa applicants, requiring all social media account privacy settings be set to 'public' to facilitate vetting
- 2025-08-28 (NPRM) / 2026-07-17 (final rule): DHS published 'Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media' (Federal Register doc. 2026-14439), eliminating duration of status for F-1 (and J-1/I) in favor of a fixed admission period tied to the I-20 program end date, capped at 4 years, plus 30-day arrival/departure windows; extensions beyond that require a Form I-539 EOS with USCIS or a new admission via CBP
- 2026-09-15: Effective date of the fixed-admission-period final rule; students admitted under duration of status before this date get a transition period running to their I-20 end date or OPT/STEM OPT end date, not to exceed November 14, 2030
- 2025-07-04: Statutory $250-minimum Visa Integrity Fee (H.R. 1) applies to nonimmigrant visa issuance generally, including F-1, but as of September 2026 not yet operational per DHS/State
Где чаще всего ошибаются
- Working off-campus without CPT/OPT authorization, or beyond the 20-hour/week on-campus or pre-completion OPT limit while school is in session, is a status violation
- One year or more of full-time CPT makes a student ineligible for OPT at that same educational level
- The final rule sharply cuts the post-program grace/departure period from 60 days to 30 days and replaces open-ended duration of status with a hard Admit Until date - missing that date without a timely-filed EOS or a new admission creates unlawful presence
- Transferring schools or starting a new program level automatically terminates OPT/STEM OPT employment authorization even though F-1 status itself may continue if other requirements are met
- F-2 dependents cannot take a genuine full course of study (academic or vocational) without first changing status - only avocational/recreational study is allowed on F-2
Также в категории Student
Не уверены, что это ваша виза? Опишите свою ситуацию. Опишите свою ситуацию, и поисковик назовёт варианты, которые стоит изучить. Это не юридическая консультация: право на визу зависит от фактов, которых страница не видит.