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.

Travel In and Out of the U.S. on Your Student Visa

Before an F-1 or M-1 student leaves the U.S., it's important to know the rules on travel and return.

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.

Gotten Sick, and on a Student Visa: How Do I Keep F-1 Status?

Developing a health problem is largely beyond your control—but what happens if you become too sick to go to class or otherwise comply with the terms of your F-1 student visa in the United States?