Life in the U.S. on a Student Visa

How Long You Can Stay in the U.S. on a Student Visa

After having been granted an F-1 or M-1 student visa, and actually entered the United States, you can stay, pursuing your studies, until the expiration date shown on your I-94.

Three Most Serious Violations of a Student (F-1 or M-1) Visa

When you come to study in the U.S. as a nonimmigrant student (F-1 or M-1), your DSO (Designated School Official) becomes an important person in your life.

Applying to Reinstate Your F-1 or M-1 Student Status

Students who have fallen out of F-1 or M-1 status may request their status back using USCIS Form I-539.

Transferring Schools or Colleges on an F-1 Student Visa

No matter how much research and planning you did before choosing a school in the United States, you may find that the one you have chosen is not right for you.

Your Rights in the U.S. While in Vocational School, on M-1 Visa

Possibilities for transferring schools, extending your stay, taking a vacation in the U.S. after your M-1 stay, and more.

Renewing Your F-1 or M-1 Student Visa at a U.S. Consulate

The F-1 or M-1 student visa that is stamped in your passport does not represent the date you must leave the U.S.; only the dates through which you can use your visa to ENTER the United States.

What Happens When a Foreign Student Gets Arrested in the U.S.

What to expect from the U.S. criminal justice system and how your student status will be affected.

Understanding the H-1B and OPT "Cap Gap" Extension for Foreign Students

If you're on an F-1 visa and have received an offer of work visa sponsorship, such as for an H-1B technical specialty worker, what happens if you realize that your student visa status will expire before your H-1B status is due to begin?