For F2 visa eligibility, applicants must have a family connection to someone who has received approval for an F1 visa. If you’re applying for an F2 visa under familial eligibility, then you will need to be married to someone who has received F1 visa approval or be a child who is under 21 years old and unmarried or someone who has received F1 visa approval. Along with these requirements, you must also complete the proper paperwork and submit the required documents. Here’s what you need to know about applying for an F2 visa.

Instructions on Applying for an F2 Visa

  1. Obtain Form 1-20.
  2. Go online to fill out Form DS-160.
  3. Send in the payment for the visa application fees.
  4. Schedule the interview for the visa.
  5. Collect and fill out the F2 visa documentation file.
  6. Go to the interview.

Form 1-20
After an F1 visa holder receives acceptance into an educational facility approved by the SEVP, the school will send them Form 1-20. This form provides information about why the person has the visa, a cost estimate, and how long the educational program will take to complete.

If the F1 student visa holder has dependents who will also be living in the United States with them, then the individual with the F1 visa will need to tell the SEVP facility that their dependents will also be applying for a visa.

The SEVP facility will use this information to collect and release Form 1-20 for the F1 visa holder’s dependents as well. Every individual who requests an F2 visa will need Form 1-20 to be eligible for the F2 visa. Once you receive the form, the application process is much like the process of applying for other visas.

About the Visa Limitations for Dependents

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F2 visa and M2 visa dependents are not permitted to work in the United States, and they will remain in legal immigration status if the F1 visa holder maintains their visa status.

F2 student visa and M2 visa dependents are not eligible to apply for Social Security numbers, but they are permitted to leave and return to the U.S. as long as they have the proper documents.

Dependents are allowed to advance their international studies by taking classes at a SEVP-approved school in the United States, but they cannot be enrolled in a full schedule. If any of the F1 visa holder’s information changes, they will need to request another Form 1-20 so that they can update it. They may apply for a status change if they have an adult dependent who would like to take a full class schedule.

F2 Visa Application Documents

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The F2 visa application documents include:

  • Your most recent passports and prior ones
  • Copies of the pages in your passport
  • Confirmation that you have financial stability
  • The DS-160 confirmation document
  • A photo that complies with the U.S. visa requirements
  • The confirmation letter of your interview
  • Fee receipts
  • The initial Form 1-20, as well as a copy of it
  • A photocopy of your F1 visa person’s 1-20 Form
  • A copy of your F1 visa person’s visa
  • Your original marriage certificate if you are applying for an F2 visa as the spouse of someone with an F1 visa
  • A photocopy of the F1 visa person’s passport

Your United States passport photo must have been taken within six months of your F2 visa application. You might also be required to provide additional proof of your marriage, such as a wedding album, wedding receipt, and receipts from your honeymoon.

If you’re applying because you are the child of someone with an F1 student visa, you’ll need to send in your original birth certificate.

If you’d like to learn English while you’re in the United States, consider taking classes from the Uceda School of Las Vegas. The school employs expert ESL instructors, and you can take beginner, intermediate and advanced English classes.

When Can F2 Visa Holders Come to the United States?
Those with an F2 visa won’t be allowed to enter the United States before the person who has an F1 visa. You can come with the person who has the F1 visa or later. This limitation is only in place when it’s the first time that you’re coming to the country. After the first time you enter the United States, you’ll be able to return without being with the person with the F1 visa.

F2 Visa Duration

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An F2 visa is valid for the amount of time of the F1 student’s learning program. Once the person with the F1 visa finishes their educational program, both of you must return to your home country within 60 days of the program completion date. If the person with the F1 visa makes a request to extend their time in the United States for additional training and it has been approved, then you will be allowed to stay in the country with your F2 visa until the extension period ends.

The status of your F2 visa is connected to that of the F1 visa holder. If the F1 visa lapses, then your visa will also lapse. What are some reasons someone’s F1 visa status would expire? If the visa holder doesn’t report an address change, falls below a full-time school schedule, or accepts a job without filling out an employment authorization form and receiving approval, the visa may lapse. A visa may also lapse if the person who holds the visa commits a crime.

F2 Visa Processing Timeframe
The F2 visa processing timeframe varies, but you should receive word of a decision within one to two weeks following your interview. Delay making travel reservations until you receive confirmation of your F2 visa approval.

Green Card Eligibility
If the person with the F1 visa applies for a green card and is approved, then the F2 visa dependents will receive one too. F2 visa dependents are permitted to apply for a green card on their own. F2 dependents can also change their status to request a different type of visa that would permit dual intent, which is another way to apply for a green card.

Healthcare Access
Those who have an F2 visa are able to go to hospitals and medical centers in the United States for care. Keep in mind that healthcare costs in the U.S. are higher than anywhere else. It may cost you anywhere from several hundred dollars to thousands if you need medical care, and basic care at a hospital can be more than $3,000. Because of this, it’s a good idea to buy health insurance coverage while you’re in the country.

The Best English Language Center
If you or one of your dependents decide to attend the UCEDA school to take ESL classes, you’ll gain the English language skills that you need to communicate effectively in a world that’s quickly becoming global. Contact us to learn more about international studies.

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