Nonimmigrant Visa

Joe Biden supports new legislation to propose startup visas to attract talent to U.S. The ambitious America Competes Act of 2022 which was introduced in the U.S House of Representatives, proposes to open up new vistas for talented individuals from across the world with a new startup visa. In this article, we are going to talk about latest immigration updates.

President Joe Biden, who supports the legislation, said the America Competes Act, 2022 is an important step forward in advancing legislation that will make the supply chain stronger and reinvigorate the innovation engine of the country’s economy to outcompete China and the rest of the world for decades to come.

The act, among other things, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a new classification of “W” nonimmigrants for entrepreneurs with an ownership interest in a startup entity, essential employees of a startup entity, and also their spouses and children.

According to the provisions of the bill released by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the bill, when signed into law, directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for foreign nationals with an ownership interest in a startup entity to soft petition for lawful permanent resident status.

As an immigrant entrepreneur if the entity demonstrates a proven track record of success through job creation and significant revenue generation or receipt of investment capital.

It also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for foreign nationals with an ownership interest in a startup entity to self-petition for classification as a W-1 nonimmigrant, and to receive extensions of such classification for up to eight years if the entity meets certain growth benchmarks.

It also provides for a limited number of W-2 visas for personnel who are essential to the growth and success of the startup entity, if the startup serves as the basis for the W-1 status of a founder. The bill exempts from the numerical limits on immigrant visas, certain foreign nationals and the spouses and children of such aliens.

Who have earned a doctoral degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a qualified U.S research institution or a foreign institution if the degree is the equivalent to a doctoral degree issued by a qualified U.S research institution.

The bill provides the Secretary of Homeland Security discretion to classify an individual as a W-1 nonimmigrant for a three year period initially if the individual possesses an ownership interest of not less than 10% in a startup entity.

The foreign individual will play a central and active role in the management or operations of the startup entity, or the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, or experience to substantially assist the startup with the growth and success of the business.

During the 18-months period preceding the filing of the petition, the startup entity needs to have received at least $250,000 in qualifying investments from one or more qualified investors, or at least $100,000 in qualifying government awards or grants, the bill notes.

In a statement, Biden said the proposals laid out by the House and Senate represent the sort of transformational investments in American industrial base and research and development that helped power the United States to lead the global economy in the 20th century and expand opportunities for middle class families.

“They will help bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States and they are squarely focused on easing the sort of supply chain bottlenecks like semiconductors that have led to higher prices for the middle class,” he said.

“Building on the historic investments in the bipartisan infrastructure law that I signed last year and on signs of progress like last week’s Intel announcement and today’s GM announcement, comprehensive competitiveness legislation will power our economy to create good-paying jobs for all Americans, no matter where you live or whether you have a college degree, and will help tackle the climate crisis,” Biden said.

“Today, the House takes action to transport our nation into the future with the America Competes Act: bold, results-oriented legislation that will strengthen America’s National and economic security and the financial security of families and advance our leadership in the world,” Pelosi said.

“America Competes makes historic investments to strengthen America’s economy, security and global leadership. To compete effectively with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the legislation leverages our core strengths and values and presents a positive hold of government agenda that rises to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

To bolster economic competitiveness, America Competes has provisions to secure critical supply chains, shape the rules and standards that govern global commerce and development, empower American workers and businesses and invest in science and innovation, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the introduction of the vital America Competes Act of 2022 in the House is an important step forward to setting up a conference with the Senate-passed U.S Innovation and Competition Act, so that they can quickly negotiate a final bill for the President to sign into law.

“We have no time to waste in improving American competitiveness, strengthening our lead in global innovation and addressing supply chain challenges, including in the semiconductor industry,” he said.

I hope the details and information provided in this article is helpful.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site/post is for informational purpose only collected from various public domains(YouTube, search engines), you may need to contact an expert immigration attorney for your specific immigration needs.

Applying for your OPT could be a long and confusing process, but it doesn’t have to be after you finished reading this guide because you are going to learn how to apply for your OPT EAD in 5 simple steps, ensuring that your OPT application is completed and sent to USCIS as quickly as possible with all the required documents.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Steps to apply for OPT EAD

The Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a work authorization given to foreign students before or after the completion of their studies. If it’s given before the completion of their studies, it’s called the pre-completion OPT and if it’s given after the completion of your studies, it’s called the post-completion OPT.

This guide will focus more on the post completion OPT, which is the OPT that foreign students apply for, shortly before graduation.

So if you’re going to be applying for your OPT in the coming months, make sure to read this guide through to the end because it’s going to share with you some really helpful tips to guide you along the way.

5 Steps to apply for OPT EAD

These are the 5 simple steps to follow in order to apply for OPT EAD successfully:

• Step #1: Gathering your supporting documents for the OPT EAD application.

These documents include: two passport colored photographs, a copy of your biographical page of your international passport, a copy of your most recent F1 visa, a copy of your most recent electronic I-94, and any previously issued employment authorization documents (EADs) that you’ve received.

Most importantly, there are specific requirements for your passport photographs. It needs to be taken within the last six months at the time of submitting your application. It also needs to be printed out on a two inch by two inch photo paper.

As for international passport, it’s best to have a passport with an expiration date of atleast six months at the time of submitting your application. This would significantly eliminate any chances of your application getting rejected because of an expired passport.

To get your electronic I-94, go to the US Customs and Border Protections website i.e www.cbp.gov

On the website you will scroll down and click on get your I-94 admission number and that’s going to bring you to the I-94 website. On this website, you’re going to click on Get most recent I-94, accept consent, and on this webpage, you’re going to enter your first name, date of birth, your passport number, and your passport country of Issuance when you click on next, that’s going to bring you to an electronic I-94, which you’re going to print out and add to your application packet.

Finally, if you’ve been issued an employment authorization document in the past, you want to make sure to make a copy of the front and back of your EAD card.

• Step #2: Selecting/Choosing an Employment Start Date.

This tends to cause a lot of confusion to many applicants, especially when you do not already have a job offer at the time of applying for your OPT. Whether you have a job offer or not, your employment start date must fall within 60 days off your date of graduation.

If you do not already have a job offer at the time of applying for your OPT, select your start date within 30 days to 45 days after your date of graduation.

• Step #3: Completing the Form I-765 and G-1145 applications.

This form could be downloaded from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov. On this page, scroll down and download your Form I-765. You’re also going to download your Form G-1145.

These applications should either be typed out or filled out by hand in black ink.

How to fill form I-765

When completing your form, I-765, it’s critically important to pay attention to the expiration date of the form. This expiration date could be found on the top right hand corner of page number one. You always want to ensure that at the time of submitting your application, your expiration date of the form is not current.

On page number one, the instructions recommend that the form be Typed out on your computer or print it out and fill it out in black ink. Finally, once you’re done filling out your form I-765, print it out and sign the form on page number five of section seven. Ensure that your signature is completely enclosed within the box.

How to fill form G-1145

To fill out the form G-1145, you’re going to enter your name, an email address, and a phone number to allow the USCIS to notify you upon receiving your application.

• Step #4: Obtaining approval from your university’s international student office or designated school official (DSO)

Some of the requirements in this step might vary from school to school, but generally the procedure remains the same and that involves having your designated school official (DSO) review all the documents that you’re going to be submitting towards your I-765 application.

In Step number four, your designated school official will review all your supporting documents from Step number One. You’re completed and signed Form I-765 from Step number three and might also require you to provide an official transcript from your register showing that you are on track and also in good standing to graduate.

You might also be required to provide a graduation letter from your Department confirming that you are also on track to graduate. You might also be required to complete an OPT Request form with your International office.

On this form, you’re going to enter your employment start dates as discussed in Step number Two.

Upon the successful review of your application, your DSO will provide you with an updated form I-20 endorsed on page number Two for your OPT, this OPT endorsement will have the employment start date of your choice.

You should review your OPT I-20 carefully for any discrepancies before signing on page number One.

• Step #5: Mailing your OPT EAD application to USCIS

You should note that USCIS must receive your application packet within 30 days from the date your OPT Form I-20 was issued. In Step number five, you’re going to assemble the following documents,

• All your supporting documents from Step number One,
• Completed and signed Form I-765 from Step number three
• A copy of your sign opt Form I-20 from Step number four,
• A payment for the I-765 filing fee in the form of a check or money order,
• A completed Form G-1145 that’s going to be clipped to the first page of your application package.

Find more about the current filing fee for USCIS application from the USCIS website.

Finally, you will mail your application to a USCIS lockbox facility based on your state of residence. Make sure to retain a tracking number from your mailing service provider.

You would need to keep a confirmation of the delivery provided by your mailing service provider for your records. In the event that your OPT application is misplaced by USCIS, this delivery confirmation of your OPT application to USCIS would come in handy.

BONUS STEPS:

Once your OPT application is received by USCIS, a receipt notice – called the I-797C – would be mailed to your address listed on the OPT application. This receipt notice would contain a Receipt number (also called a tracking number) that can be used to track the status of your case.

Under some unfortunate circumstances, USCIS might take a very long time (much longer than the typical processing time for OPT EADs) to adjudicate your OPT EAD application.

Questions you may ask and some useful answers to its.

Question: When applying for OPT with a dependent? Do I have to include the same documentation for the F2 dependent?

Useful Answer: Not with USCIS as the OPT is filed by the F1 primary applicant. F2 dependents don’t get any work privileges. When requesting OPT from your school, you would need to contact your DSO to update the I-20 for your dependents as well. This way their completion date would end when your OPT ends.

Question: What’s the best way to get a green card from a F-1 Student visa?

Useful Answer:

1. Do a study in a marketable skills, start working in OPT, get h1b work visa sponsored, then get GC sponsored.

2. Meet a US citizen spouse during your study. Get married and apply for GC.

Question: Do you think is necessary to add the I-20 from the dependent to the OPT documentation that is going to be sent to USCIS?

Useful Answer: Your dependent can’t work on OPT. You should submit the OPT is the primary applicant on an F1 visa.

Question: I graduate this December and I have a full-time offer. I would like to start as late as possible. Can I still apply 90 days before graduation and select my start date around February, within the 60 days framework?

Useful Answer: Yes, if you want to start late, you can choose the 60th date after graduation as your start date. But I will highly recommend you apply once your 90 day window opens, since you’re in a great spot having a full-time offer already.

Question: Could you please tell me the difference between program end date written on I-20 and graduation date? Is program end date would be considered as my graduation date?

Useful Answer: Yes in most cases the program end date on the I-20 will be the same as the graduation date. The one exception is for PhD students where their program end date on the Form I-20 would be the day they defend their PhD dissertation, which may not be the same as the date of the University’s graduation date.

Question: Could a graduate studies student apply for OPT? or is it strictly for undergrad students?

Useful Answer: Any F-1 student (undergraduate or graduate) can apply for OPT after completing 1 year of studies in their program.

Question: What will happen if my OPT card doesn’t arrive my OPT start date? How should I plan for that scenario?

Useful Answer: In the case that you have received a job offer and you were expecting to begin work on your OPT start date, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is informing your employer that you would not be able to start on the date you expected.

Apart from that, you need not worry about accruing unemployment days. You only start accruing OPT unemployment days after:

(1) You have physically received the OPT EAD card, AND

(2) The OPT start date listed on the EAD card has been reached.

Question: Can I file form I-765 (Post-Completion OPT) online instead of mailing it to the USCIS service center? Also, I have electronic I-94 record which shows my last entry and travel history but there is no admission stamp on my passport. Do I need electronic I-94 only or photocopy of my passport’s page having entry stamp on it is also necessary?

Useful Answer: You can file the OPT online, but only after you have obtained your Form I-20 approved for OPT from your DSO. The electronic I-94 printed from the CBP website is what you need to present.

Question: What happens when my passport is expired before then?

Useful Answer: You would need a valid passport when applying for OPT. You could get a new passport from your home country’s embassy or consulate in the US.

Question: If I enroll in a second degree and haven’t used up my OPT, can I carry it over and use it after completing my second degree?

Useful Answer: OPT has a Use it or Lose it policy. So unfortunately, it can’t be carried over. However, after completing your 2nd degree, you would have another OPT opportunity as well.

I hope you found this information very helpful.

Source: Sojourning Scholar

DISCLAIMER: This article and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information presented in this article should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

In this article, we’re going to learn how to get the form DS-2019 which is given to prospective J1 Nonimmigrants.

What is DS-2019?

The form DS-2019 is a two page document required to support the application for an exchange visitor visa to the U.S. This document is produced by a U.S Department of State designated sponsor.

How Can I Get the DS-2019?

To receive the DS-2019 as a prospective nonimmigrant to the US, you must first find a designated sponsor and then apply and be accepted for sponsorship into an appropriate J1 program category.

Some of the J1 program categories are; professors/research scholars, short-term scholars, trainees, and college/University students.

Similar to the Form I-20 given to F1 and M1 nonimmigrant, the form DS-2019 primary purpose is to apply for a J1 visa and then seek entry into the U.S on this J1 visa.

Can I bring my family to the U.S on a J1 Visa?

J1 non-immigrants who intend to bring a spouse, child or children must obtain a separate DS-2019 form for each dependent, and must meet the requirements set by their designated sponsors to do so.

What Else is the DS-2019 Used For?

Apart from applying for the J1 Visa to enter the U.S, the DS-2019 could be used for the following;

1. Applying for a U.S social security number
2. Applying for a U.S state driver’s license or a state ID card
3. Serving as a proof of work authorization

DS-2019 Sample

From the above DS-2029 sample, describing each block in the two page documents,

• starting with Page One at the top right corner is the Civic ID Number. This number always starts with the letter N.
• Block one of the documents identifies you as the participant in the J1 program.
• Block Two includes the name of your program sponsor and describes the nature of your J1 program to be completed.
• Block Three, which is very important is the start and end date of your program.

J1 visa holders may not arrive to the U.S more than 30 days before the start date. As a non-immigrant under J1 status, you are given a Grace period of 30 days after the program end dates to depart the US.

Note that your program end date and not the expiration of your J1 visa determines how long you’re allowed to stay in the U.S. You can learn more about this difference between your J1 visa and your J1 status [HERE]

• Block Four States your exchange visitor category.

This could be any one of several J1 program categories, such as trainees, College and University students, short term scholars, etc.

• Block Five is a breakdown of the estimated financial support for your J1 program.
• Block Seven also very important is the name and contact information of your program sponsor’s responsible Officer. You may need this information when trying to enter the U.S at the U.S Port of Entry.
• Block Eight is completed by a J1 Responsible officer, whenever a transfer of your J1 program occurs.
• Over on this section to the left describes if you are subject to the two year home residency requirement and would contain the name, signature and date of a U.S Consul officer or immigration officer.
• The travel validation section on the right is also very important. A valid travel signature from your responsible officer will be required to reenter the U.S after a brief departure from the U.S.
• The very last section on page one is the certification section where you would sign and date the form DS-2019.
• You should read and understand the instructions section on page two before signing this form.

The form DS-2019 is a very important immigration document, and you must do your part to keep this safe at all times.

Some questions you may ask

Question: What if I was given an emergency visa appointment by the U.S Consulate later than my program start date? My start date is august 1st and the embassy schedule is august 11? Will this affect my visa approval?

Answer: U.S consular officers understand this situation, and would not penalize you for that, especially in these current times.

Question: What are the requirements in order to acquire one (i.e form DS-2019)??

Answer: You’ll need to find a program that can sponsor you for the J1 visa.

Question: Can I reprint a copy of my DS-2019 if I already filled it?

Answer: You may, the only thing you’re to fill on the DS-2019 is your signature and date.

Question: If you already got your J1 approved, is it possible to change the date on the DS afterwards?

Answer: Yes but only your responsible officer can do so by re-issuing a new Form DS-2019.

Question: If I got an internship in USA, so now who is going the issue this form? The U.S-based company or me in my home country?

Answer: Your program sponsor.

I hope you found this article is quite informative.

DISCLAIMER: This article/post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. I am not a licensed attorney and so the information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

Canada Student Visa Interview: Individuals who want to visit Canada to pursue their higher studies are required to obtain the Canada Student Visa. The application requires the applicants to submit the completed application form along with the required documents. Depending on your individual situation, you might also be called for an interview.

Once the application is submitted, the applicant will need to make the payment of the applicable visa fee.

After the visa fee is paid, the application requires the applicants to schedule an interview with the Canadian Embassy/Consulate. The visa interview is the final stage of the application process which determines whether the visa is getting approved/rejected.

During the visa interview, the consulate officers will ask questions and verify the details/documents provided by the applicants. Most of these questions are specific to the visa category and the type of visa programme the applicants have applied for.

What is general category in Canada student visa?

The Non-SDS is a general category to apply for a visa application to study in Canada. Under this approach, candidates who are incapable of meeting the SDS requirements get a chance to apply. The requirements will also be different as more documents may be required.

Non-SDS is a general visa application process for temporary residence for work, study, and immigration in Canada.

Canada Student Visa Interview Questions and Answers

The following are few of the common questions asked during the student visa interview at the Canadian Embassy/Consulate:

• How are you doing today?

Answer briefly about how you feel. You don’t need to get nervous here since these are few of the common daily-life questions. Say – good, thank you, how about you?

• Have you been to Canada before?

Say yes/no. If your answer is a yes, mention your previous travel and include details such as the purpose of the travel, the duration of stay, etc., if required.

• Why did you choose Canada?

You can mention about your past studies and future study plans in Canada with regard to the purpose of your travel. You may also need to explain why you are unable to find something similar in your own country. You can always highlight the access to world-class teaching facility in Canada as one of the reasons for choosing Canada for higher studies.

• Why did you choose that particular college/university?

Based on your research, you should be able to highlight the advantages of joining that particular college/institute/university. Additionally, you can always highlight the unique advantages of that college.

• Have you applied for any other college/university?

Be truthful and mention briefly about your applications. The Consular Officer may ask further questions to see how determined you are to pursue your higher studies.

• Which program will you be joining and why?

Make sure you are aware of the course/program start and end date. Do your research to understand the importance of the course/programme and highlight the benefits of it. Based on your past studies and experience, and your interest in that particular course/program, you can prepare a statement that describes how this particular program/course will help you build your career.

• Who is going to cover your expenses in Canada? Or Who is going to sponsor you for your education? And What is their income, and how do they plan to fund your education?

Depending on whether it is covered by your parents or a bank through a student loan, mention the details of it. This question will also verify the details provided by you the visa application form.

• Where did you study in your country?

You need to mention the college/institution and city from where you completed your undergraduate course.

• What does your father/mother do?

Mention the occupation of your father/mother. The Officer may ask further questions to check the income status of your parents.

• Are you traveling with someone or alone?

Depending on your situation, answer this question with confidence and if possible, add the reason to it.

• Do you have any relatives/friends in Canada?

Answer in a yes/no. If you have relatives, mention your relationship with them. If your answer is no, make sure you answer without any hesitation and show your eagerness to meet new people and make them your friends and family in Canada.

• Where do you stay in your country?

Mention the name of the place and also express how much you would like to come back once the course/program is completed.

• Where will you be staying in Canada?

You can provide the address of your stay and mention whether it is a temporary arrangement or if you plan on living there until the end of your course/program.

• Do you plan to work in Canada?

If your visa allows you to work while studying, express your desire to work there to boost your career or to support yourself, however, if your visa doesn’t allow you to work in Canada, inform the Officer that you have no intentions of working in Canada and would like to return once the course/program is completed.

• Have you received any scholarship?

Candidates must mention the scholarship in Canada they’ve applied for and the progress of the scholarship status if any.

• How fluent are you in English?

Candidates should answer this carefully by mentioning their previous academic qualifications and scores of the exams they have appeared for. If there’s any additional point that could prove their fluency in the language, they can talk about it too.

Other Canada Student Visa Interview Questions

• What other universities that you applied?
• What’s are the entrance examinations that you have appeared for? Like the IELTS, the SAT, GRE, or GMAT.
• What are your plans once you complete your education from Canada?
• Have you applied to any other countries for a student visa? And have you been rejected?

The Consular Officer may ask further questions based on the applicant’s profile. Questions pertaining to the duration of the stay, college/university are specific to the course/program. Just make sure that you are confident and truthful while answering the questions.

So, these are the most common Canada Student Interview Visa Questions.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any Canadian Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site is for informational purpose only, collected from various public domains. You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

I hope this article has been helpful to you, let us know in the comments down below.

In this article, you will learn about the travel signature on the form I-20 and DS-2019 given to F1 visa and J1 visa international students, respectively and what you can do if you travel outside the US with an expired travel signature.

It’s very important to pay attention to your travel signature when making plans to depart the United States. Make sure you read this article to the end as you are going to learn what you can do if you realize too late that your travel signature has expired.

Form I-20 Travel Signature

The travel signature is an endorsement provided by your Designated School Official (DSO) or Responsible Officer (RO) or your school’s International Student office to international students and given to continuing international students on an F1 or J-1 visa status respectively.

This endorsement can be found on page two or three on the Form I-20 for F1 Visa student and on page one of the DS-2019 for J-1 Visa students.

New international students on an F1 or J1 visa entering the US for the first time do not get a travel signature on their initial Form I-20 or from DS-2019.

But after entering the US and enrolling in a program of study as an active F1 or J1 student, a new I-20 or DS-2019 for continued attendance will be given. This new I-20 would contain a travel signature.

The purpose of this travel signature is to serve as a permission to seek entry back into the US when an international student travels outside the United States.

Nonetheless, the travel signature is not a required documents to depart the United States as an international student.

How Long is Travel Signature Valid?

Depending on your academic status, the validity of your travel signature could be for either 6 months or 12 months.

For example, F1 and J-1 students completing their program receive a travel signature that is valid for about 12 months or until the end of their program completion date whichever is sooner, while F1 and J1 students who have completed their programs and are engaged in F1 OPT, F1 STEM OPT, and J1 Academic Training receive travel signatures valid for 6 months or until the end of the respective training period whichever is sooner.

So making travel plans outside of the US, you should ALWAYS ensure that the travel signature on your I-20 or DS-2019 will be valid on the day you plan to return to the United States.

Otherwise, you should obtain a new travel signature from your Designated school official (F1 students) or your representative official (for J1 students) prior to your departure from the US.

What to do if you forgot to get I-20 travel signature and traveled outside the US?

A quite common scenario F1 and J-1 international students find themselves in is forgetting to obtain a travel signature before traveling outside of the US. So what can you do if you realize that you departed the US with an expired travel signature?

If you find yourself in this predicament, you’ve two options to consider:

Your first option will be to contact your school’s International Student office and request that a new I-20 or DS-2019 with an updated travel signature be mailed to your international address.

Now this would only make sense if you have enough time to receive your updated travel signature before embarking on your return trip to the US. If this is not the case, then you might want to consider delaying your return trip to the US until you’ve received your updated travel signature.

As at the time of posting this article, due to the ongoing pandemic F1 International students do not need to have an originally signed from I-20 in order to enter the US as they can do so with an electronically signed from I-20, but this is subject to change at any time now.

Option number two is quite risky, as you may be denied entry into the US, but you could proceed to travel to the US and seek entry with this expired travel signature.

In some instances, this may be your only option, as is the case with some international students who find out at the Port of entry that their travel signature was expired before their departure from the US.

Now with this option, if a US Customs officer admits you into the US, you’ll be given a form called the I515A. This form is a notice that requires you to correct the entry deficiencies determined upon your arrival to the US within 30 days of your entry.

For F1 and J1 international students entering the US with an expired travel signature, you will be required to obtain a valid travel signature on your I-20 or DS-2019 respectively and send that to the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) as well as all other documents listed on your Form I515A.

If you have been given an I515A, it’s best to contact your international office as soon as possible to receive proper guidance.

Now, as you can see to avoid all these unnecessary headaches, it’s best to make it a habit to check your travel signature in advance of your travel outside of the US.

Some Questions and Answers

Question: I got visa interview before two years, but it got rejected. So now I am planning to reapply, this time I need the new signature on my F2 I-20?

Answer: No you don’t need travel signature to apply for your initial F1 or F2 visa. Travel signature is given by the DSO after you enroll in your academic program in the US.

Question: What if you’re still studying with a valid student visa, and u need to travel to Canada for 2 weeks and come back. What are the procedures?

Answer: The same as traveling to any other country. You will have to meet the travel requirements to enter Canada. Now, for a special case where your US student visa is expired, you can use what is called Automatic Visa Revalidation to reenter the US after visiting Canada for 2 weeks.

Question: If my English 6 month program finish and I want to go to another school, I have to go back in my country or with the same visa F1 I can enroll to any school program?

Answer: You can transfer to the new program without leaving the USA, as long as you get an I20 from the new school program. Your US visa is only important when you try to enter the US. After you enter the US, the conditions of your US status will determine how long you are allowed to remain in the US.

I hope you found this article as a helpful resource.

DISCLAIMER: This article/post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. I am not a licensed attorney and so the information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

U.S Green Card: In this guide, you will learn about the employment-based green card process with USCIS, highlighting the different steps working professionals in the EB1, EB2, and EB3 have to go through when trying to get a US green card.

This guide will only focused on the steps required to get an EB1, EB2, or EB3 green card. To find out the eligibility requirements of the EB1, EB2, and EB3 green card, you can read this article below.

Read: Types of US Employment Based Green Cards (EB1, EB2, EB3, EB4 and EB5)

How to Get a US Green Card by Employment (Step-by-Step Guide for EB1, EB2 & EB3 Green Cards)

Generally, there are three steps required to get an employment based green card status:

• The first step is obtaining an approved labor certification from the US Department of labor.
• The second step is filing an I-140 petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• The third step is filing an I-485 petition with USCIS.

With the exception of the EB1 category and the EB2 national interest waiver, also known as EB2-NIW, all other employment based categories have to go through steps number One, two, and three.

Also, all other employment based categories requires a U.S employer to file a petition on behalf of the foreign national. The only exceptions of the EB1 through extraordinary ability and the EB2 national interest waiver.

• Labor Certification Step

Obtaining an approved labor certification is a step that must be undertaken by a U.S employer. An approved labor certification provided by the U.S Department of labor certifies to USCIS that:

• that there are no sufficient U.S workers able, willing, qualified, and available to take up the job opportunity at the intended area of employment;
• that the employment of the foreign national won’t adversely affect the wages and the working conditions of other similar U.S workers.

For employment based categories, such as all EB3 and some EB2, the labor certification must be approved before moving on to the next step, which is filing an I-140 petition with USCIS.

An approved labor certification from the U.S Department of labor comes with a validity period of six months, which means that an employer must file your I-140 petition within six months from receiving an approval of the labor certification.

• I-140 Petition Step

The I-140, also known as an immigrant petition for an alien worker, is typically filed by a U.S employer on behalf of a foreign national. Whoever files this petition with USCIS is called the petitioner, and whoever benefits off of this petition is called the beneficiary.

With the exception of the EB2-NIW and the EB1 through extraordinary ability, a foreign national cannot be both the petitioner and the beneficiary of an I-140 petition filed to USCIS.

• I-485 Petition Step

The I-485, also called the application to register permanent residence or adjust status, is adjudicated by USCIS only after the approval of the I-140.

What is a priority date?

The priority date is the date the foreign national expresses an interest to become a permanent resident of the U.S through an appropriate petition.

For foreign nationals in some EB2 categories and all EB3 categories that have to go through the labor certification process, your priority date will be the date the U.S Department of labor receives an application for labor certification from your employer, while other employment based categories they don’t have to go through the labor certification, your priority date will be the date your I-140 petition is received by USCIS.

Concurrent Filling

There’s also a possibility of filing both an I-140 petition and an I-485 petition to USCIS. This is known as concurrent filing, and it’s possible for certain foreign nationals. To find out if you’re eligible for a concurrent filing, you would have to check out the U.S Visa bulletins.

Processing Timelines

Let’s talk about the general timeline for each of these steps.

• Labor certification step

The U.S Department of labor requires a U.S employer to first test the labor market before they can submit an application for the labor certification.

During this test of the labor markets, the U.S employer must demonstrate to the U.S Department of labor that they were not able to find any U.S worker who was able, willing, qualified, and available to take up the job in question under the prevailing wage set by the U.S Department of labor.

The processing time for a labor certification could take as long as three months and the time required of a U.S employer to test the labor market could take as long as six months. So when combined, the timeline to obtain an approved labor certification from U.S Department of labor could take as long as twelve months.

• I-140

USCIS has an option of expediting the processing time down to 15 calendar days for certain categories. Without the expedited processing, the timeline for USCIS to adjudicate an I-140 petition could take as long as six months.

• I-485 petition

In the case of the I-485 petition, USCIS does not provide any expedited processing. In some cases, USCIS could take as long as three years to adjudicate your I-485 petition, depending on how backlog the USCIS service centers are.

Also keep in mind that foreign nationals whose priority dates are not current in the U.S bulletin charts, would have to wait until their dates are current to file the I-485 petition, and for certain foreign nationals waiting for priority dates to be current in the Visa bulletin charts could take upwards of ten years.

Foreign nationals with an approved I-485 petition who reside outside of the U.S could go to a U.S consulate or embassy to apply for an immigrant visa to the U.S. While foreign nationals who currently reside in the U.S can change their status from a nonimmigrant status to the green card status.

In summary

Depending on your country of birth and your employment based category, the timeline to get a green card could take upwards of three years.

Foreign nationals with a pending I-485 petition with USCIS may apply for a temporary work authorization, also called an employment authorization document. They may also apply for an advanced Bureau document that allows them to leave and enter the U.S while an I-485 petition is pending.

LATEST UPDATE: How to check Your Diversity Visa Lottery Result

I hope you found this guide/post very informative.

DISCLAIMER: This article/post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. I am not a licensed attorney and so the information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

EB1, EB2 and EB3 (Types of U.S Employment-Based Green Cards), these terms are abbreviations of the different employment based green card categories for foreign nationals seeking to leave and work permanently in the United States.

Did you know that every year, a good number of U.S employment green cards are available to foreign skilled professionals who wish to immigrate permanently to the United States? In this article, we are going to delve into what each green card category is, so you can learn which is best for you.

What is EB-1 EB2 and EB3 category?

These cards are issued based on your skills, education and work experience. To be eligible for one of these green cards, you will need to fall under one of the five prescribed categories, EB1 to EB5, where the letters A and B stand for employment based and the numbers one to five indicate the preference first to fifth.

EB4 and the EB5 are for special immigrants and business investors, respectively, and that will be discuss in next article.

Types of U.S Employment-Based Green Cards

EB1 – FIRST PREFERENCE

This is for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in their field (EB-1A), outstanding professors or researchers (EB-1B), or certain multinational executives or managers (EB-1C).

Extraordinary ability in one field means that you must have attained a level of expertise that puts you at the very top of your field. This is usually demonstrated by the receipt of international or national awards in one field of expertise.

Under the EB1 category, professors and researchers can demonstrate their outstanding achievements by way of an international recognition of their work and must be pursuing tenure or tenure track teaching or research positions in a University or with a private employer.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be a Nobel Prize laureate or an Olympic medalist to be eligible for the EB1 – First Preference Green Card as there are several other ways of demonstrating your eligibility for the EB1.

EB2 – SECOND PREFERENCE

This is for foreign nationals who are members of professions with an advanced degree like a master’s or PhD or have at least five years of progressive work experience beyond the baccalaureate degree. The EB2 category is also applicable to foreign nationals with exceptional ability.

Under the EB2 second preference is the EB2-National Interest Waiver (EB2-NIW). This subcategory is for foreign nationals who do not want to go through what’s called a labor certification process that’s required of the EB2 Green Card category.

However, you would need to meet certain criteria or eligibility in order to apply for your green card under the EB2-NIW category.

To be eligible to apply for a Green Card under the EB2-NIW category you will need to demonstrate that your work will be beneficial to the United States and you must meet specific sets of criteria set forth by USCIS, that indeed justify why the labor certification process should be waived.

EB3 – THIRD PREFERENCE

The EB3 Green Card category is divided into three sub-categories according to the level of training or education required to perform said job. The categories are unskilled workers, skilled workers, and professionals.

Unskilled workers (also categorized as other workers) perform jobs that requires less than two years of training or experience.

On the other hand, skilled workers are for persons whose jobs require at least two years of training or experience, while professionals are for individuals whose jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree to perform.

EXCEPTIONS

With the exception of the EB1 through extraordinary ability and the EB2-NIW that allow you to self-petition, all other employment based green card categories requires a US employer to first file a petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS.

Furthermore, with the exception of the EB1 category and the EB2-NIW subcategory, all other EB categories require a US employer to first file a labor condition application with the US department of labor before filing a petition for an alien worker with USCIS.

Application Process for US Employment Based Green Cards (EB1, EB2, EB3, EB4 and EB5)

Regardless of which category you fall under, how you apply for Green Card as a foreign national will ultimately depend on whether you currently reside inside of the U.S or outside of the U.S.

Foreign nationals residing inside the U.S in a legal nonimmigrant status go through an application process called an adjustment of status, while foreign nationals residing outside the U.S need to go through a process called consular processing in order to obtain an immigrant visa to the U.S.

All applications for U.S visa are handled outside of the U.S by the U.S Department of State, while applications for an adjustment of status are handled inside the U.S by the U.S Department of Homeland Security.

I hope you found this article/post very informative.

DISCLAIMER: This article/post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. I am not a licensed attorney and so the information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

In this article, you will find out the 7 massive mistakes international students in the US make and what you can do to avoid them. So whether you are on an F1 visa or J1 visa, you should make it a point not to fall into any of these 7 traps.

7 Mistakes International Students in the U.S. Make and How to Avoid Them

7. Not seeking financial assistance from your University whenever you’re going through a financial hardship.

As an international student, if you ever experience any kind of economic hardship during your stay in the US, such as the loss of a family member who provides financial support for your US education, or you incur a very high medical bill.

Or let’s say, for example, there’s some economic downturns going on in your home country where the currency is severely devalued relative to the dollar, then you want to make sure to seek financial assistance from the University.

International students in the US who are experiencing any form of financial hardship that’s out of their control can reach out to the international office and apply for what’s called a severe economic hardship program.

The University’s International Office will actually grant you work authorization, which you can use to work off campus. And in some cases you can actually be given a tuition assistance in the form of a scholarship or grant.

Something else you can do is to reach out to your school’s financial aid office and request a deferment payment plan for your tuition.

This tuition deferment payment plan would at least allow you to pay your tuition install-mentally over the course of the semester, and in some cases, you might actually be allowed to register for courses before paying your tuition in full.

As an international student facing any kind of economic hardship, the last thing you want to do is to be ideal while you wait to rectify your situation. If you don’t do this, then you risk getting dropped from classes and as an international incident, you are required to enroll full-time during a long semester in order to maintain your status.

6. Forgetting to obtain a travel signature or endorsement from your school’s international office before you travel outside of the US.

This may not be a big deal if you realize early enough after leaving the States that you forgot to obtain a travel signature.

In this case, you can always reach out to your school’s international office and have them mail you form I-20 with a travel signature before you try to reenter the US. But what happens if you realize that you fail to obtain a travel signature at the point you’re trying to reenter the US? If this is the case, then you really increase the risk of getting denied entry into the US on your F1 visa.

So definitely make it part of your travel checklist every time you want to depart the US to obtain a travel signature from your school’s international office.

5. Using your international passport as your only form of identification in the States.

Always carrying your international passport in the back pocket, you may end up losing your international passport. What you should do within the first few weeks in the US is to obtain a state identification card and use this as your primary identification documents. This way, you can safely leave your international passport at home.

If you lose your international passport, not only would you have to deal with the burden of going to your country’s embassy in the US and obtaining a replacement, but you would also have to travel back to your home country to apply for a new US visa, as US visas are never granted within the US.

4. Failing to inform your school’s international office of a change in your residential address or a change in your employment, if you’re an OPT. This is strictly US regulation.

Anytime there’s a change in your address, you are required to report that change to your school’s international office within ten calendar days. The same is also true for international students who are participating in optional practical training (OPT).

If there is any change in your employment during your OPT, you are required to report that change to your school’s international office within ten calendar days.

3. Remaining idle, if you happen to be unemployed while on OPT.

In the unfortunate circumstance that you happen to be unemployed while on OPT, what you want to do is to seek employment in the form of an unpaid internship or a volunteer opportunity.

2. Not applying for your F1 post completion OPT on time.

Many F1 students make this a much bigger deal than it should be. Some F1 students think that it’s best to wait to get a job offer before they apply for their OPT, but this cannot be further from the truth.

Regardless of whether you have a job offer or not, it’s best to apply for your OPT as early as possible. This is because sometimes it can take as long as six months to obtain your OPT/EAD card from USCIS, and the last place you want to be as an international student in a competitive job market is to have a job offer but not be able to work simply because you haven’t received your EAD card yet.

Some employers may not be willing to wait for you to get your EAD card and might received a job offer.

1. The worst mistake you can ever make as an international student and that’s engaging in unauthorized work.

During the course of your studies as an F1 international student, you can only work off campus if you have received CPT authorization or pre-completion opt authorization. And in the case of a J1 international student, you can only work off campus if you’ve received pre-completion academic training.

Any other form of off campus work that doesn’t fall into any of these three categories is considered unauthorized work and is ground for you violating your F1 or J1 status, and if your school’s international office finds out that you’ve worked off campus without obtaining any form of authorization, they will immediately terminate your F1 or J1 status, and you will be required to leave the US to obtain a new I-20 or DS 2019 before you can reenter the US.

That concludes for the 7 (seven) biggest mistake international students on F1 or J1 visas make in the US and what you can do to avoid them.

DISCLAIMER: This article/blog post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information presented in this article should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

There are many J1 nonimmigrants in the US who might want to change their status to an H-1B status or into a green card status after completing their J1 program. But these nonimmigrants are unable to do so because they have to satisfy a two year home resident requirement after the completion of your J1 program. J1 visa waiver status.

In this article you’re going to learn how to go about obtaining a J1 Visa waiver that allows you to change your status into an H-1B status or into a green card status if you happen to be a J1 visa holder with a two year home residency requirement.

What is a J1 visa waiver?

The J1 Visa waiver is a document issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, specifically by USCIS and this waiver removed the requirements that certain J1 nonimmigrants have that requires them to return to their home country for a minimum of two years after the completion of the J1 program.

J1 visa waiver status

If you happen to be a J1 on immigrant who has this waiver when you came into the United States, you would have to receive this waiver if you want to change your nonimmigrant status into an H-1B or permanent residency status. Once you’ve completed your J-1 visa waiver status application, it’s easy to check on the official status.

So if you’re J1 on immigrants, you might be wondering, how do I know if I’m subject to the two year home residency requirement? Now, whether you’re subject to this two year home residency requirement will depend on the conditions for which a J1 Visa program was granted by a program sponsor.

The typical cases when you might be subject to this two year home residency requirement is when your J1 Visa program is government funded either by your home country or by the United States, or if you happen to be participating in a medical training based J1 visa program, or if your J1 Visa program involves some type of specialized knowledge that is needed for the development of your home country.

Now, this two year home residency requirement is accurately described on page two of your form DS 2019. And that’s why it’s very important that before you sign your DS 2019 to seek a J1 visa into the US, you should have read and understood the implications of the home residency requirement.

Eligibility criteria to apply for a J1 Waiver

So let’s say you are subject to this home residency requirement, and you want to learn what makes you eligible to get a J1 Visa waiver, checkout these five different ways you can be eligible to receive a J1 Visa waiver.

These are the 5 eligibility criteria for you to apply for a J1 Waiver:

• The first criteria that could make you eligible to receive a J1 Visa waiver is if you can show that your departure from the US would cause an exceptional hardship to your US citizen spouse or your US legal permanent resident spouse and children. For you to meet this criteria, you would have to go beyond the simple fact that a physical separation between you and your family is a cause for exceptional hardship.
• The second criteria you could meet to qualify for J1 Visa waiver is if you can show that by returning to your home country, you’re going to face severe persecution due to your religious and political beliefs.
• The third criteria for J1 Visa waiver is when there’s a US federal agency that employs you that deems your work necessary and of national interest to the US.
• The fourth criteria for J1 Visa waiver happens to be for medical professionals who work for US State health Agency in an area of the US that’s underserved.
• The last but not the least criteria for J1 Visa waiver is when you can receive what’s called a no objection statements from your home country, simply saying that they have no objection against you remaining in the US after the completion of your J-1 program.

How to get/apply for J1 Visa Waiver

So now let’s discuss how to apply for J1 Visa Waiver. So once you determine that you qualify for any one of the five qualifying basis for a J1 Visa waiver, it could begin your J1 Visa Waiver application.

Now you have to understand that the application process for J1 Visa waiver could take several months and includes a lot of different agencies and third parties. And that’s why it’s highly recommend that when applying for J1 Visa waiver, you should seek the Council of a licensed and experienced immigration attorney.

Disclaimer: The content of this post/article should not be taken as personalized legal advice. I am not an immigration attorney. If you require personalized legal advice, I highly recommend that you seek the counseling of a licensed immigration attorney.

So with that out of the way, these are the general steps that you can take to apply for J1 Visa Waiver.

• First step would be to complete the online J1 Visa Waiver recommendation application, also called the form DS 3035, you can find link for the form at the US Department of State website where you can complete this online J1 Visa Waiver application.

You must understand that a completed online from DS 3035 is the only acceptable format of this application by the US Department of State.

When completing the form DS 3035, you’re going to be providing information such as:

• Your biographical information
• The basis for which you are applying for J1 Waiver
• A statement of reasons explaining why you want to remain in the US
• A current address or contact information, and your most recent US address.
• You’re also going to provide information about any attorneys or legal representatives who are assisting you with a J1 visa with the process.
• If you happen to have any J2 dependent. You’re going to provide the biographical information of each of your J-2 dependents and also provide information about your J1 Visa Waiver and your J1 Exchange program.

While the form DS 3035 can be completed online, it cannot be submitted electronically and that’s why after completing your DS 3035, you would have to print out a completed form and mail this to the US Department of State.

Now, once you’ve completed the online form DS 3035, a seven digit case number and a barcoded PDF document will be generated containing your J1 Visa Waiver application. Now, this PDF will also include a checklist that explains how your application should be organized and what next steps you have to take in order to mail your application.

The exact locations we are going to be mailing your form DS 335 will depend on the basis for which you are applying for J1 Visa Waiver.

• The next step would be to mill in your completed DS 3035 and include an application fee.

You can find more details about the cost of the form DS 3035 application fee at the US Department of State website that contains any updated application fees for your form DS 3035.

Some of the documents that you’re going to include in the mail with your form DS 3035 applications are:

• Copies of all Forms DS-2019 that you’ve received
• Copies of your Passport biographical page and those of your J2 Dependents (If any)
• Two self-address and stamped envelopes and any additional pages
• You might need to provide more information on your form DS-3035.

After mailing your application,

• the third step in the application process is to provide the supporting documents that prove your eligibility for a J1 Visa Waiver to the US Department of State.

So, for example, if you’re applying for J1 Visa Waiver under the criteria of a no objection statement, then your home country would have to send directly the no objection statement to the US Department of State.

Now it is your responsibility to ensure that the supporting documents are received by the US Department of State from each of the respective agencies who are supporting your J1 Visa Waiver application.

Now, if you want to learn more about the different supporting documents to provide for a J1 Visa waiver, you can checkout this complete guide on how to apply for the J1 Visa Waiver.

• The next step in the process would be to check the status of your J1 Visa Waiver application.

In order to check the status of your J1 Visa Waiver application, you would need your seven digit case number that was generated when you completed your phone DS 3035.

When checking the status of your J1 Visa Waiver application on the US Department of State website, this website will explain if there are any documents that have been requested and any documents that have been received from you.

Now it’s best to allow approximately one month after submitting your J1 Visa Waiver application before you go about checking the status of your J1 Visa Waiver application.

So common question you might have as a J1 Visa Waiver applicant is, how long does it take to get a response on your J1 Visa Waiver application?

This depends on the basis for which you’ve applied for a J1 Visa Waiver, and if you’ve applied under the condition of exceptional hardship to a US spouse or US Green Card spouse and children, this could take anywhere between 16 to 24 weeks. Now, you should note that under certain circumstances it is possible to request an expedited processing of your J1 Visa Waiver application.

This tends to be possible if there is a significant need of your services by a US government agency or if there happens to be an urgent humanitarian need that requires you to be in the US.

You should be understand that the condition for which your J1 visa waiver would be approved is based on the ultimate decision of the United States citizenship and immigration services, USCIS.

Although your J1 visa waiver application is initially reviewed by the U.S department of state. All the U.S department of state could do is to provide a recommendation to USCIS but USCIS has the final say on either rejecting or granting you a J1 visa waiver.

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is written for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information presented in this article and anywhere else on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

Learn how to apply and get CPT (Curricular Practical Training) as an F1 visa international student, as well as the best tips to get a CPT internship or a multi-semester co-op job opportunity.

What is CPT?

CPT (Curricular Practical Training) is considered as an employment that is INTEGRAL to an F1 student’s academic program of study. The CPT must provide training or work experience that is needed to complete your degree otherwise it must be a work experience that you could earn academic course credit for.

It is expected that the CPT should not prolong the time to completion of the F1 visa students degree program. Some examples of CPT are internships and multi-semester coops, both of which could be paid or unpaid and done off-campus at an employer’s location or while working remotely at another location.

Benefits of CPT

CPT is a great way to get work experience in your field of study prior to graduation and is also a great opportunity to build and grow your professional network outside of your university. Like you might have heard, sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know.

Eligibility for CPT

To be eligible for CPT you must have been enrolled full time for at least 2 long semesters in an active F1 status. The only exception here are students who have programs that require an immediate participation in CPT within the first year of study.

You must also have a job offer that is directly related to your major. If the CPT is not required to graduate, you must earn course credit during the semester that the internship is held with slight exceptions depending on your university. Let look at How to apply for CPT.

How to Apply for CPT

Generally applying for CPT is a 2 step process:

• In the first step you will need to obtain the approval of your academic advisor.  This requires you to provide an employment offer letter from a US employer describing the nature of your work. Your academic advisor will then determine if this work is related to your field of study and would provide a written notice of approval.
• With this approval, you can then complete the second step, where your designated school official (DSO) would provide an I-20 endorsed for CPT. This endorsed I-20 is your legal employment authorization to work temporarily in the US with the specified CPT employer.

Limitations of CPT

There are two ways you can use CPT, these are part-time and full time. Part time CPT is defined as 20 hours or less per week while full-time CPT is defined as more than 20 hours per week.

Note that if you complete 12 months of full time CPT, you become ineligible for OPT. On the other hand, part-time CPT is not capped, so once you meet the eligibility requirements for CPT, you can work part time for several months.

Furthermore with CPT, any changes in your employment requires a new CPT authorization and must be reported to avoid violating your status. You are also required to pass the course for your CPT authorization, otherwise you will be violating your status.

Best Tips to Get CPT Jobs

1. Start researching your industry early on
2. Don’t rely solely on online job applications
3. Where possible, accept unpaid internship jobs if you can’t get a paid internship.

In Summary

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) status allows international students with a F-1 student visa to gain work experience through employment training and paid internship programs directly related to your major area of study.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site/post is for informational purpose only, collected from various public domains. You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

I hope this article has been helpful to you.

Have you received your Form I-20 and are wondering what the next steps are? In this guide, you will learn the simple 3 step process to follow after receiving your Form I-20 as a prospective U.S international student. The I-20 form is a certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status.

What to do after receiving form I-20

These steps include reviewing and signing the Form I-20, applying for your F-1 visa and scheduling your visa interview appointment, and paying the SEVIS fee.

Reviewing the Form I-20

You’ve received your form I-20 which could have been delivered electronically or delivered by mail, the first thing you should do is to review the form I-20, pay close attention to the spelling of your first name and your last name and all the biographical information that’s contained on the first page of the I-20.

You would also want to review page three of the I-20 that contains instructions for you, the student who is going to be responsible for signing the Form I-20.

Signing the Form I-20

Once you’ve read and understood everything on page three of the I-20, and when you’ve checked that your information appears correctly on the I-20, you would then sign the I-20 in the Student Attestation section located at the bottom of page number one.

Your signature here on the I-20 should be in black ink, and the date you write on the I-20 should be the date you signed the I-20. For example, if you sign the I-20 on August 1, 2021, then the date you are going to write on the I-20 should be August 1, 2021.

If you happen to be under the age of 18 at the time you’re signing the form, it would also need to provide a signature and a date from your parent or Guardian. Again, this entry from your parent or Guardian on the form I-20 should be printed in black ink.

You should keep in mind that on the Form I-20, the Attestation section appearing in page number one is the one and only place that you’re ever going to write anything in. Once you’ve signed and dated form I-20 on page number one, your job is done.

If you’d like to learn more about the form I-20, you can find the linked below where I take a deep dive explaining what every section of the Form I-20 is.

READ: Understanding the Form I-20 for F1 Visa International Students (The Ultimate I-20 Guide)

Book an appointment for your U.S F1 Visa interview

The second step in this process is to book an appointment for your U.S F1 Visa interview. In order to do this, you would have to go to the U.S Department of State website and find the nearest U.S Embassy or consulate that is currently accepting F1 Visa interview appointment.

It’s possible that when you go to the U.S Department of State website, you may not be able to find any U.S Embassies or consulates that are currently accepting F1 visa interview appointment.

In such a case, you might need to look into making an emergency visa interview appointment with the U.S Embassy and Consulate in your home country. As it is quite possible that the U.S Embassy or consulate in your home country might be offering special treatments for students who are trying to enter the U.S on an F1 visa.

Paying for SEVIS I-901 Fee

Once you’ve been able to secure your U.S Visa appointment, preferably on a date that works best for you, you would want to go ahead and pay the service fee, which is also called the SEVIS I-901 Fee.

You should plan to pay a service fee and have a receipt of payment before you attend your U.S F1 Visa interview.

At the time of making this article, the service fee could be paid in three different options.

• The first way is the most common way, and that is by making an online payment;
• the second method of payment is by Western Union Quick pay;
• the third form of payment is payment in U.S dollars, made using a personal check from a U.S Bank or using a money order.

Note: You must have a complete and accurate Form I-20, which is given to prospective F1 and M1 students. If you’ve received the Form I-20 and it happens to contain an incorrect information, then you must contact your designated school official or your program sponsor.

A very important note about the SEVIS I-901 Fee is that if you have any dependents coming to the U.S on an F2, an M2 or J2 visa, they are not required to pay the service fee. The service fee is only required for prospective immigrants coming to the U.S on an F1, M1 and J1 Visa.

On the first entry, you would want to put in your service ID, which you can find this on the top left corner of your form it. You can also find this on your top left corner of the form DS 2019.

Then you enter your last name and your first name, as it appears on your form I-20 or your form DS-2019.

Finally, you would enter your date of birth with the birth month first, the birthday second, and the birth year last. Once you’re done, you click and submit. And if information is answered correctly, you will be taken to a page that accepts your online payment in the form of a credit card.

Once your payment for your SEVIS Fee is accepted online, a payment confirmation page will be generated. You are required to print out this confirmation page and present this as proof of your SEVIS Fee payment before you attend your F1 Visa interview.

In conclusion

As an F1 students who have received the Form I-20:

• The first step would be to review and sign the Form I 20;
• the second step would be to apply for your F1 Visa and book your F1 Visa interview appointment, and;
• third step would be to pay a service fee and receive a payment confirmation before you attend your F1 Visa interview.

These are the three simple steps that you should follow after you’ve received a form I-20.

The next phase you’re going to be working on is getting ready for your F1 Visa interview.

READ: F1 Student visa Interview Questions and Answers.

I hope this article has been helpful to you.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site/post is for informational purpose only collected from various public domains. You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

In this article you will learn all about the Form I-20 given to F1 visa international Students. We will learn what it is Form I-20 and what it’s used for, how you can get one, what’s contained in the documents and how to fill Form I-20 for F1 Visa International Students.

What it is Form I-20?

In simple terms, the Form I-20 is a three page document given to non-immigrants who intend to study in the United States. The Form I-20 or simply I-20 is an important immigration document given to F1 and M1 visa international students who intend to study in the USA.

This document can only be issued by schools that are certified by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, specifically, the Students in Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Form I-20 is issued to prospective international students who have been admitted into a program of study.

While the majority of non-immigrants who receive the I-20 are on an F1 visa engaging in an academic program of study, the I-20 is also given to non-immigrants who plan to enter the U.S on an M1 visa to pursue non-academic or vocational programs of study.

The ultimate use of the Form I-20 is to apply for an F1 or M1 visa and to seek entry into the U.S on these visa classes.

However, the Form I-20 also serves several other purposes, as will be discussed later in this article.

How exactly do you get the Form I-20?

Getting the Form I-20 is generally a two-step process.

• The first step is getting accepted into a school certified by SEVP, and this school could be a University or College or even a primary or secondary school.
• The second step is providing evidence of financial support as requested by your school’s designated school official (DSO). This proof of financial support must include funds covering tuition fees and living expenses for one academic year of study.

International students who intend to bring their dependents to the US, such as a spouse, a child or children, must also obtain a Form I-20 for each dependent.

Thus, you must also show evidence of financial support covering the living expenses for each dependent as specified by your school’s designated school official. The evidence of financial support you provide to get the form it could be in the form of bank statements showing personal savings or family savings.

It could also be in the form of an award letter offering you a scholarship, a Fellowship, or an assistantship by your University or your school, and could also be a letter of sponsorship from a government, an organization, or a company.

So what else is the form I-20 useful other than the primary purpose of applying for an F1 or M1 visa, and seeking entry into the US on these visa classes? Form I-20 is needed for other purposes, such as:

• applying for a US Social Security number,
• applying for a US state driver’s license,
• applying for a US state identification card,
• changing your immigrant status from the F1 status to another status while in the US, and
• serves as a proof of work authorization.

I-20 form sample and how to fill Form I-20 for F1 Visa International Students

Let now take a close look at each section of the Form I-20.

• At the top left corner of page one is the service ID number. This number always starts with the letter N.

• The first box contains your biographical information, your admission number, and your admission class. This first box also contains the reason for issuing the form. When you first receive an I-20 from your school’s DSO, the form issue reason will be listed as initial attendance, and after you’ve enrolled in your program of study, you would be given a new form I-20 that States continued attendance as the form issue reason.

• The second box on page one is the school information. Here you will find the name of your DSO as mentioned earlier, this person would be your main point of contact when seeking to enter the US. So keep a note of their contact information before traveling to the US.

• The third box on page one contains information about your program of study. Very important to take note of is the program start and end date. You are only allowed to enter the US on an F1 visa within 30 days of your start date. Note that the end of your F1 status does not depend on the expiration date of your F1 visa, but on the end date shown on your current from I-20.

• The fourth box on page one summarizes your financial responsibility. You should have evidence of financial support covering the total amount in this box when applying for an F1 visa and seeking entry into the US on an F1 visa.

• The fifth box is a remarks section where your DSO would make any appropriate comments about your I-20 at any point in the future.

• The six box on page one will have the signature of your DSO certifying that you’ve provided correct information and indeed meet the qualification to attend the school to pursue a full program of study.

• The 7th and last box on page one is for you to sign and date. If you are under the age of 18 this box should also be signed and dated by a parent or legal Guardian accordingly.

• The first and second boxes on page two are relevant to your authorization for off campus employment, such as curriculum practical training (CPT), and optional practical training (OPT).

As an active F1 student, you become eligible to use CPT or OPT after completing one academic year of studies. You may not engage in any kind of work off campus without receiving this work authorization from your DSO.

• The CHANGE OF STATUS/CAP-GAP EXTENSION box is applicable to F1 students changing into another nonimmigrant visa class, such as going from an F1 student visa class to an H1 B worker class.

• AUTHORIZED REDUCED COURSE LOAD: F1 students who wish to take a part time course load would need to obtain permission from the DSO. This approval for a reduced course load would be added to the fourth box on page two.

• Finally is the TRAVEL ENDORSEMENT box, which is yet another important section of the I-20. Once you enroll as an F1 student and receive an I-20 for continued attendance, a valid travel signature from your DSO will be required to re-enter the US after a brief departure from the US.

The third page is Instruction section, which contains very important information for you, the students signing this document and the DSO issue and signing the Form I 20. Make sure to read and understand this page in its entirety.

Your I-20 is an important immigration documents that you will need for several years while in the U.S, so ensure to keep this safe at all times. I hope you found this article quite informative.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site/post is for informational purpose only collected from various public domains (Youtube, Google, etc). You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

I hope this article has been helpful to you, let us know in the comments down below.

Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-160: The DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form, is for temporary travel to the United States, and for K (fiancé(e)) visas. Form DS-160 is submitted electronically to the Department of State website via the Internet.

Consular Officers use the information entered on the DS-160 to process the visa application, and combined with a personal interview, to determine an applicant’s eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa.

Visa applicants must submit a completed DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application for all nonimmigrant visa categories, including applicants applying for K visas.

Where to Fill Form DS-160?

All applicants can access the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-160 form at the Consular Electronic Application Center website.

Sample Form DS-160

Below is a sample for the DS-160 form.

DS-160 Form Filling Instructions

Completing a DS-160 online application form is not a hard task. You should follow a few simple steps and pay attention to your answers, so you fill the DS-160 form online correctly, without making any mistakes.

• Go to the Consular Electronic Application Center website.
• Log in to your account.
• Complete the security question.
• Start answering the questions.
• Upload DS-160 Form Photo.
• Submit the Form.
• Print DS-160 Barcode Page.

Log in

When you log in, start completing the form. Make sure you have a strong internet connection and enough time, before you start. Do not complete the DS-160 electronic form in a hurry, as you may miss stuff. You will have several questions to answer, so take your time.

First, you must select the location where you will apply for your visa. Then, click on “Start an Application” button if this is your first application.

Complete the security question

You need to complete this part to get a unique application ID and for online security reasons. Choose a security question and remember the answer that you provide. You may need it for your next log in.

Start answering the questions

After completing the first two pages of the application form, you will then start to answer questions regarding your application. The questions are grouped into four categories:

• Personal questions.
• Family information.
• Work/education/training information.
• Security-related questions.

Following, find all of the DS 160 application form questions:

Personal questions

• Name & surname.
• Full name in native alphabet.
• Marital Status.
• Date and place of birth.
• Country of origin.
• Do you have any other nationality other than the one indicated?
• Are you a permanent resident in any other country aside from your country of origin?
• Home Address.
• Phone number – work and personal.
• Email address.
• Passport information: Number, date of place of issuance, date of expiration.
• Purpose of the trip to the U.S (you may have to specify that).
• Do you have specific travel plans? If yes you will need to give the intended date of arrival, length and address where you will stay, and whether you will be accompanied by someone.
• Information on previous trips to the U.S: If you have ever been to the U.S, ever held a U.S visa, or were rejected from getting a visa or refused entry to the U.S.
• U.S point of information, if applicable – their relationship to you and home address.

Family information

• Parents’ given full names.
• Do you have any relatives in the U.S?
• Your spouse’s name, date and place of birth.

Work/education/training information

• Primary occupation, address, start date, monthly salary in local currency, and briefly describe your duties
• Were you previously employed?
• Have you attended any education institutions at a secondary level or above?
• Which languages do you speak?
• Have you traveled within the last five years?
• Have you belonged to, contributed to or worked for any professional, social or charitable organization?
• Do you have any specialized skills or training, such as firearms, explosives, nuclear, biological or chemical experience?
• Have you ever served in the military?
• Have you ever served in, been a member of or been involved with a paramilitary unit, vigilante unit, rebel group, guerrilla group or insurgent organization?

Security-related questions

• Do you have a communicable disease of public health significance? Communicable diseases of public significance include: chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inguinale, infectious leprosy, lymphogranuloma venereum, infectious stage syphilis, active tuberculosis, and others diseases as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Do you have a mental or physical disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of yourself or others?
• Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?
• Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though you are subject to a pardon, amnesty, or other similar action? This includes all arrests or detentions, including those at the border and by Customs and Border Patrol.
• Have you ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled substances?
• Are you coming to the United States to engage in prostitution or unlawful commercialized vice, or have you been engaged in prostitution or procuring prostitutes within the past 10 years?
• Have you ever been involved in, or do you seek to engage in, money laundering?
• Have you ever committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?
• Have you ever knowingly aided, abetted, assisted, or colluded with an individual who has committed or conspired to commit a severe human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?
• Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States, and have you, within the last five years, knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities?
• Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has been identified by the President of the United States as person who plays a significant role in a severe form of trafficking in persons, and have you, within the last five years, knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities?
• Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has violated any controlled substance trafficking law, and have knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities in the past five years?
• Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?
• Do you seek to engage in terrorist activities while in the United States, or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities?
• Have you ever, or do you intend, to provide financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations?
• Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization?
• Have you ever ordered, incited, committed, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide?
• Have you ever committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in torture?
• Have you committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in extrajudicial killings, political killings, or other acts of violence?
• Have you ever engaged in the recruitment or the use of child soldiers?
• Have you, while serving as a government official, been responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom?
• Have you ever been directly involved in the establishment or enforcement of population controls: forcing a woman to undergo an abortion against her free choice or a man or a woman to undergo sterilization against his or her free will?
• Have you ever been directly involved in the coercive transplantation of human organs or bodily tissue?
• Have you ever sought to obtain or assist others to obtain a visa, entry into the United States, or any other United States immigration benefit by fraud, willful misrepresentation, or other unlawful means?
• Have you ever withheld custody of a U.S. citizen child outside the United States from a person granted legal custody by a U.S. court?
• Have you voted in the United States in violation of any law or regulation?
• Have you ever renounced United States citizenship for the purpose of avoiding taxation?

Upload DS-160 Form Photo

At the very end of the DS-160 form, you will need to upload a digital photo of your face. The photo should be taken within the last 6 months, and meet the other US Visa photo requirements and specifications.

Note that to be able to upload the photo, it must be 240kb or less. After you upload it, if the photo meets the guidelines, you will see a green tick and the confirmation “Photo passed quality standards”.

Submit the Form

After you successfully upload the photo, you will receive the location where you should submit your application for a U.S nonimmigrant visa. Memorize the location, or even better write it somewhere.

You will then need to electronically sign the application. You can do so by clicking on the “Sign and Submit Application”.

Thus, you will successfully complete the first step of your application for a U.S nonimmigrant visa.

Print DS-160 Barcode Page

Once you are done, you will be presented with a confirmation page, which you need to print, and bring with you on the day of your U.S visa interview. Without DS-160 form confirmation you will be unable to attend your interview.

Documents You Need to Complete DS-160 Electronic Form

You will have to look at these documents when filling in the form:

• Your valid passport.
• Travel itinerary.
• Dates of every international trip you have made in your last five years, including to the U.S
• Information on your current and previous education and work history.

Additionally, when applying for some particular U.S nonimmigrant visas, you may need to keep close to you some additional documents. These are:

• Students and Exchange Visitors (F, J, and M) – you will need your SEVIS ID and the address of the school/program at which you intend to study. This information should be on your I-20 or DS-2019 form.
• Petition-based Temporary Workers (H-1B, H-2, H-3, CW1, L, O, P, R, E2C) – You will need a copy of your I-129 form.
• Other Temporary Workers – you will need to have ready information on your future employer, including their address.

DS-160 Form Validity

The DS 160 form is valid for 30 days from the day you start completing it. Therefore, if you start applying on January 1, the DS 160 form expiration date will be by January 31. Make sure you complete the form on time, or else you will need to start it from the beginning.

DS-160 Form Visa Fee

There is no DS-160 form fee payment. However, you will need to pay the fee for the U.S visa you are applying for and that will be done at your embassy, were they will explain in details for you.

What is DS-160 confirmation number?

The DS-160 confirmation number is the number you receive once you complete the form, sign and submit it. The number serves as a confirmation that you have completed this step.

Can DS-160 form be edited after submission?

DS-160 form correction after submission is not possible once you have signed and submitted it. Yet, you can make a DS-160 form edit in two ways.

• If you submitted the form within the last 30 days you can just retrieve your application at the Consular Electronic Application Center system and edit it.
• The other way is two fill in a completely new application. You must bring confirmation pages from both the original and revised Form DS-160 on the day of your appointment.

How to retrieve DS-160 form after submission?

You will be able to retrieve your DS-160 form visa application within 30 days since the day you signed and submitted your application. Follow the steps below:

• Log into the Consular Electronic Application Center system.
• Enter the application identification number.
• Select “Retrieve an Application”.
• Create a new application, which will cause the entire prior application to appear.
• Edit the information as needed.
• Re-submit the application.

Should I print the whole application?

No, you do not need to print the whole application form. You only need to print the DS 160 Form confirmation page, without which, you would be unable to submit your application file or attend the visa interview.

In summary

The Form DS-160 is the electronic (online) application form for the U.S nonimmigrant visa. It is a fully online form, which must be completed by every applicant wishing to get a nonimmigrant visa for the U.S, including applicants applying for K visas.

The form contains questions on your personal information, contact details, passport and travel information, previous trips to the United States (if any), family information as well as questions about your education and work experience.

In addition, the U.S visa application DS-160 form also asks security-related questions on your background and asks you to upload your face image.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site is for informational purpose only, collected from various public domains. You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

Content sources: Travel.State.Gov and visaguide.world

I hope this article has been helpful to you, let us know in the comments down below.