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Immigration & Visa Issues for Study Abroad US

Exchange Visitor Programs

Exchange Visitor Programs cover temporary visas that allow visitors to enter the United States to participate in exchange programs. They are run by: the U.S. State Department, which runs the F, J, and M visas (for educational and cultural exchange programs), and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Department, which runs the Q visa (for international cultural exchange programs).

According to the U.S. State Department, "the Q-1 visa is for certain international cultural exchange programs designed to provide practical training and employment, and sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of participants home country in the United States" (from their information site located here).

The requirements for a Q-1 visa are as follows:
  • Culture-sharing must take place in a school, museum, business or other establishment where the public is exposed to aspects of a foreign culture as part of a structured program;
  • The cultural component must be an essential and integral part of the participant's employment and training, and must be designed to exhibit the attitude, customs, history, heritage, philosophy and/or tradition of the participant's country of nationality; and
  • The employment and training aspects may not be independent of the cultural component.
If your program of study is less than 18 hours a week, you may be able to use a visitor visa. For higher workloads, you will need a student visa to study in the U.S. There are three types of Visas you can have as an international student, namely F-1 (for most international students), M-1 (for a skilled trade or vocational skill program), and J-1 (for a sponsored exchange program).

There are some basic requirements if you would like to become an international student in the U.S.:
  • The student must be enrolled in an "academic" educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program;
  • The school must be approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
  • The student must be enrolled as a full-time student at the institution;
  • The student must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses leading to English proficiency;
  • The student must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study; and
  • The sudent must maintain a residence abroad which s/he has no intention of giving up.

Apply Early

The U.S. Department of State has the following advisory on their site, verbatim (in content and format):

Visa applications are now subject to a greater degree of scrutiny than in the past. For many applicants, a personal appearance interview is required as a standard part of visa processing. Additionally, applicants affected by these procedures are informed of the need for additional screening at the time they submit their applications and are being advised to expect delays. The time needed for adjudication of individual cases will continue to be difficult to predict. For travelers, the need for an interview will mean additional coordination with the embassy or consulate is needed to schedule an interview appointment. We recommend that individuals build in ample time before their planned travel date when seeking to obtain a visa.

Most official forms you need will be located here or here, at the U.S. Department of State site.

What Type of Student Visa Should I Apply For?

See the diagram below for the answer to this question:



Visa Denials

If your visa application is denied, don't panic. It happens to many people around the world, so you are not alone. Your consular officer will probably mention Section 214(b) as the reason for the denial. Here's a transcript of this section of the Immigration and Nationality Act:

Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant status...

What this means, in actuality, is that the onus is on the applicant to prove that s/he does not intend to leave the home country permanently. You can prove this by providing official evidence of your ties to your native or home country (permanent residence, family ties, property ownership, work contract, etc).

A visa denial is not permanent. Contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate to inquire about reapplying, and make sure to include any supporting evidence you may not have considered the first time around. Your goal is to show evidence of strong ties outside the U.S. that prove compellingly that you are not seeking immigration.


Image Credit: Two Roses
mandip
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mandip said:

i want to do p.hd

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  • Posted 3 months ago.
simran gill
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simran gill said:

i want to do bds n know about fees of bds?will you help me?

  • Quote
  • Posted about 1 month ago.
MayMay
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MayMay said in response to:
mandip
mandip’s post:
Citation Body

i want to do p.hd

Hi there Mandip,

I’m glad to hear that you are interested in studying abroad. Before I can help you answer your question, could you please specify the area of focus that you’d like to complete a PhD in.

Thanks!

  • Quote
  • Posted about 1 month ago.
lucyinthesky
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lucyinthesky said in response to:
mandip
mandip’s post:
Citation Body

i want to do p.hd

That’s great! Check out this lesson outlining the basics of obtaining a PhD. After that, you can also take a look at the various Schools in the SchoolFinder to find schools or programs that are of interest to you!

  • Quote
  • Posted about 1 month ago.
lucyinthesky
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Post Body
lucyinthesky said in response to:
simran gill
simran gill’s post:
Citation Body

i want to do bds n know about fees of bds?will you help me?

We’d love to help! By BDS, do you mean Bachelor of Dental Surgery? Where in the world would you want to take this program?

  • Quote
  • Posted about 1 month ago.
madiha
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madiha said:

hi i am an M.B.A interested in studying something different now,which doesnot require Gmat or GRE. WHAT WOULD IT BE?

  • Quote
  • Posted 28 days ago.
lucyinthesky
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Post Body
lucyinthesky said in response to:
madiha
madiha’s post:
Citation Body

hi i am an M.B.A interested in studying something different now,which doesnot require Gmat or GRE. WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Do you mean you already have your MBA and would like to enroll in post-MBA Studies?

If so, York University in Toronto, Canada has a Post-MBA studies program called “Post-MBA Diploma in Advanced Management”. According to its website, it doesn’t require GMAT or GRE: Click here to learn more about it.

A similar program in the U.S. is Kellog School of Management’s Post-MBA Program at Northwestern University. You can visit the site here

  • Quote
  • Posted 28 days ago.
arushi123
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arushi123 said:

hey..can u study anythin in usa widout takin a gre or gmat?

  • Quote
  • Posted 27 days ago.
p_punitha
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p_punitha said:

Hello sir I completed Master of COmputer Application in Anna University and i scored 82% in my academic..I wish to do MS in USA..which does require TOFEL of GRE? because i finished master degree so only doubt in this….

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  • Posted 26 days ago.
MayMay
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MayMay said in response to:
arushi123
arushi123’s post:
Citation Body

hey..can u study anythin in usa widout takin a gre or gmat?

Hi there Arushi,

As an International student wishing to study in America, you must complete and pass English requirement tests. Along with pursuing any type of graduate studies, you must also register to take the GRE/GMAT tests and score accordingly to schools’ admission requirements.

I hope that answers your question.

Good Luck!

  • Quote
  • Posted 17 days ago.
MayMay
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MayMay said in response to:
p_punitha
p_punitha’s post:
Citation Body

Hello sir I completed Master of COmputer Application in Anna University and i scored 82% in my academic..I wish to do MS in USA..which does require TOFEL of GRE? because i finished master degree so only doubt in this….

Hello P_punitha,

Congratulations on completing your studies at Anna University! That is a tremendous accomplishment.

I’m thrilled to hear that you’re interested in continuing your education in the U.S.!

Similar response to Arushi’s question above, in order to study in America, English testing requirements will be mandatory to gain admission. Regardless if you have a Masters to your credentials, schools will require you to take and pass language test(s) to ensure that your level of English is at a suitable range for studying in an all-English language environment.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me.

Good Luck!

  • Quote
  • Posted 17 days ago.
parth1610
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parth1610 said:

Dear Sir,

Good Day !

I have completed Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering from Ganpat Unversity, India.

Now, To get further study in Becholre Degree in Mechatronics Engineering I wolud like to study in good University of USA .

Sir, I will be highly obliged if you can send more details for further study in good university along with date of new batch starting, course fees, Tution fees, TOFFEL Score etc.

Sir, If you require any more details regarding my Son pl. inform accordingly

Thanking you & looking forward to have early response for our further needful

Parth Shah

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  • Posted 10 days ago.
amatsenkalsang
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Post Body
amatsenkalsang said:

Sir, I had finished my twelve class in China. Now, I am a Chinese teacher in Organizer of ES-Trust School. I am a Tibetan people, So then I want to go USA and continue my studies. so please help me which university i can join and easy to apply. Thanks Kalsang Dhondup

  • Quote
  • Posted 9 days ago.
lucyinthesky
  • Authority 669
Post Body
lucyinthesky said in response to:
parth1610
parth1610’s post:
Citation Body

Dear Sir,

Good Day !

I have completed Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering from Ganpat Unversity, India.

Now, To get further study in Becholre Degree in Mechatronics Engineering I wolud like to study in good University of USA .

Sir, I will be highly obliged if you can send more details for further study in good university along with date of new batch starting, course fees, Tution fees, TOFFEL Score etc.

Sir, If you require any more details regarding my Son pl. inform accordingly

Thanking you & looking forward to have early response for our further needful

Parth Shah

Hello parth1610,

I would suggest going to the Learnhub School Finder and searching for some possible schools that may be of interest to you. There, you can fill out a form to see there are programs which suit your needs. You can discover more information about schools this way and see if you qualify for their program. Good luck!

  • Quote
  • Posted 9 days ago.
lucyinthesky
  • Authority 669
Post Body
lucyinthesky said in response to:
amatsenkalsang
amatsenkalsang’s post:
Citation Body

Sir, I had finished my twelve class in China. Now, I am a Chinese teacher in Organizer of ES-Trust School. I am a Tibetan people, So then I want to go USA and continue my studies. so please help me which university i can join and easy to apply. Thanks Kalsang Dhondup

Hello amatsenkalsang,

Great to hear from you! What discipline are you interested in studying? Please feel free to message me so that we can determine an appropriate school and program for you. If you would like to explore some universities, check out our School Finder. Thanks!

  • Quote
  • Posted 9 days ago.
Tola
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Tola said:

I am a National Diploma Certificate holder from Nigeria,i want to know how i can study mechanical engineering in the US

  • Quote
  • Posted 9 days ago.
lucyinthesky
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Post Body
lucyinthesky said in response to:
Tola
Tola’s post:
Citation Body

I am a National Diploma Certificate holder from Nigeria,i want to know how i can study mechanical engineering in the US

The University of Kentucky is a great school to study mechanical engineering. Please check out this link and fill out the form to see which programs you can be matched with and enroll in. :) Good luck, Tola!

  • Quote
  • Posted 9 days ago.
  • Your comment will be modifiable for 10 minutes after posted.

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