F-2 Visa, Dependents of F-1
Visa For Family Members of International Students In the USA
Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
An F-2 visa permits dependents of F-1 student visa holders to relocate to the United States and reside with the F-1 student while they pursue their education at recognised U.S. institutions or universities.
F-2 Visa Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following conditions in order to be considered for an F-2 visa:
- Be the spouse of a foreign citizen with an authorised F-1 visa.
- Be the unmarried child of an authorised F-1 visa foreign national under the age of 21.
- Have the financial means to maintain themselves in the United States.
- The F-2 visa is usually granted depending on the status of the F-1 visa holder.
Applying For An F-2 Visa
If you are an F-1 visa holder intending to bring your spouse or minor children to the United States during your educational programme, get Form I-20s from the DSO at your school or institution for each family member who will accompany you.
F-2 visa applicants must provide sufficient documentation of their identity and affiliation to the F-1 foreign student.
F2 Visa Application Process
Step 1: Obtaining a Form I-20
Each F1 student will get a Form I-20 from their chosen school in the United States after they have been accepted to study there and the institution has met the requirements to do so. The form will include all of the relevant information regarding the course, including the length of time it will take and an estimate of how much it will cost.
Students in the F1 visa category who intend to bring family members with them are required to advise the school of their intentions and provide specific information about each family member.
On the basis of the information submitted by the F1 student, the educational institution will also issue an I-20 for the F1 students dependents. Form I-20 must be presented for each F2 visa dependent applicant in order to be considered. They are now able to go on with the visa application process after getting the form.
Step 2: Fill Out and Submit the DS-160 Form
In order to submit an application for a non-immigrant visa online using the DS-160, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. It is required that the form be filled out online with all of the required information and documents. To assess whether or not you are eligible for the visa, we will consider the information that you submit both on the application form and during the interview.
After you have finished filling out the form, you are required to proceed with the next steps:
– Make sure you print off and retain the page with the barcode. Only the page with the barcode has to be printed; the rest of the DS-160 form may be done electronically.
– You should make an appointment for a visa interview. You will go online to the website of the United States consulate or embassy in the location of your choice in order to schedule your interview there. It is in your best interest to plan your interview at a place that is geographically near to you, and more specifically, in the nation in which you now live.
You have the option of scheduling your visa interview to take place at the same time and in the same location as the F1 applicant if you are applying at the same time. However, if you are submitting a separate application, you will be responsible for scheduling your own interview.
– Make sure you pay the application cost for the visa. A cost of $160 must be paid in order to apply for an F2 visa. Your nation of origin may also require you to pay additional fees, such as those associated with reciprocity or the cost of obtaining a visa. You are obliged to make the appropriate payment, and you should preserve the receipt for your records.
Step 3: Present Yourself for an Interview Regarding Your Visa
The interview is often the last step in the process of applying for an F2 visa, and it is also one of the most important phases. Ensure that you have gathered all of the required paperwork for the appointment well in advance of the day of the interview. Be careful to respond to the questions in an accurate and genuine manner, and attend at the scheduled time. The majority of the questions will focus on your connection to the person who has an F1 visa and your reasons for wanting to go to the United States with that person. Your overall performance will be the primary factor that the consular officer considers when deciding whether or not to accept your application. If your application for a visa is accepted, you will be able to begin making travel arrangements to accompany or join your F1 spouse or parent in the United States.
F2 Visa Required Documentation
The following must be met in order to submit an application for an F2 visa:
- Your current passport in addition to any prior ones.
- copy of the relevant pages from your passport.
- The confirmation page for the DS-160.
- Evidence of the banks sound financial position. As evidence, you might provide documents such as pay stubs, bank statements, or tax returns.
- A photograph for a United States visa. The photograph must have been taken within the last half year.
- A note confirming the interview was sent.
- The receipts that demonstrate that you have paid the required payments in full.
- The confirmation page for the DS-160.
- The original copy of Form I-20, as well as one copy.
- A copy of the I-20 form that was used to apply for the F1 visa.
- An original or a replica of the F1 visa (if applicable).
- In the event that you are submitting separate applications, a copy of the passport held by the bearer of the F1 visa.
- If you are the spouse of someone who has an F1 visa, you are required to provide an original marriage certificate.
- Genuine evidence of the marriage, such as the wedding album.
- List of guests for the wedding.
- a record of the money spent on the wedding.
- reimbursements for honeymoon expenses.
- If you were married at the registrars office, you need to hand in the wedding affidavit as well as photographs of you and your spouse with the people who saw the ceremony.
- If you are the child of an F1 visa holder, you are required to provide an original birth certificate.
F-2 Visa Advantages
As long as the F-1 students status is valid, F-2 visa holders are permitted to enter and remain legally in the United States. The F-1 student must enrol in and complete a full-time programme of study in the United States in order to keep his or her status. He or she must notify the DSO of any address changes and will be unable to work for the first academic year.
The F-1 student may request authorization to work at an on-campus job after the first academic year, but he or she will be limited to working 20 hours per week during the academic year and 40 hours per week during the holidays.
Additional Information
F-2 visa holders can live in the United States with an F-1 visa holder. They are, however, usually not permitted to work. Part-time schooling is permitted for spouses of F-1 visa holders. Additionally, while in the United States, F-2 dependents who are of school age will be required to attend K-12 schools.
Extensions of stay granted to F-1 visa students also extend to their dependents. Following the extension, documentation of the familys financial competence, as well as an application for renewal of the F-2 dependent visa, must be presented. To get an extension and extend your F-2 dependent visa, youll need to fill out Form I-539 and show that you still have sufficient financial resources.
Other USA Visa Types
A Visa is required for any foreign national wishing to enter the United States. It could be a non-immigrant visa for a short period of time or an immigrant visa for a long period of time. To enter the United States, Indians must get a non-immigrant visa.
How to Change Your Visa Status
Adjustment of status is available to foreign nationals who enter the United States on an F-2 visa. If youre an F-2 dependant and want to enrol in a full-time educational programme at a U.S. college or university, for example, you can apply to a SEVP-approved school and file an application to change your visa status. After you change your status, you may be able to study full-time in the United States until your programme is completed. Form I-539 can be used to request a change of status.
You can also change your status from an F-2 visa to another nonimmigrant visa, such as an H-1B or an L-1 visa, which are both nonimmigrant and dual purpose visas.
You can stay and work in the United States for up to six years if you get an H-1B visa. You may also apply to become a lawful permanent resident in the future. You must, however, locate an employer ready to sponsor you and file an H-1B visa petition on your behalf.
F-2 dependent visa holders are subject to certain restrictions.
The F-2 visa is only for dependents of F-1 visa holders who wish to live with the F-1 student in the United States. As a result, F-2 dependents are subject to a number of restrictions.
F-2 visa holders, for example, are unable to work since they are unable to obtain a work permit. They are, however, permitted to perform unpaid volunteer work. The F-2 visa holder will also be unable to obtain a Social Security number without a work permit. To file any reports or tax returns with the IRS, you can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). If you want to work, you must first apply to have your visa changed to one that allows you to do so.
While you can take part-time vocational or recreational classes with an F-2 visa, you wont be able to enrol full-time in university or college programmes to seek a Bachelors or graduate degree. To comply with compulsory education legislation, minor children of school age can enrol in K-12 schools in the United States. If you wish to pursue a bachelors or graduate degree, you can begin by applying for an F-1 visa after being accepted to a SEVP-approved university or college.