Student And Exchange Visitor Visas

 

 

If you're planning to study in the U.S., figure out which type of visa gives you the greatest opportunities and flexibility.

 

J-1, M-1, or F-1 Visa for U.S. Study: Which One Is Best for You?

        

    

Students coming to the U.S. may have a choice between three likely visas:

• the J-1 visa for exchange visitors (including scholars) participating full time in approved exchange programs
• the M-1 visa for full-time students in vocational programs, or
• the F-1 visa for full-time students in academic programs.

If you’ve got a choice, which visa might be best for you? Let’s look at some of the comparative advantages and disadvantages to these three visas.

Types of Program Covered

F-1 and M-1 visas offer the broadest coverage of school programs. One of these visas can likely be issued for almost any type of educational program imaginable.
The M-1 visa covers vocational training in things like cooking, mechanical or technical training, dance, music, photography, animation, and art and design. (For a casual course of under 18 hours a week that doesn’t lead to a degree, however, a B-2 tourist visa is more likely the appropriate one to use.)
The F-1 visa covers secondary and high school programs as well as all courses of study at colleges and universities.
J-1 programs, by contrast, are limited as to the level of education and types of subjects that can be studied – though they include both secondary and college or higher level education. For example, high school or college students may spend a semester or year in America on a J-1 visa, or a research scholar might come to a U.S. university on a visiting basis. Further examples can be found on the U.S. State Department’s list of “Designated Sponsor Organizations.”