Well, the smell of dry goods, which visas can let children go to school in the United States?

First, green cards and American citizens

Now many parents in China have obtained American green cards and even American citizenship through various channels. If you are one of them, congratulations, you can work and go to school without restrictions and enjoy complete freedom.

Most new immigrants with green cards can also apply for green cards for their spouses and children (unmarried children under 2 1 year old) during the application process. In this way, your child will also have a green card status and can go to school in the United States.

Second, non-green cards and American citizens

If you are not a green card or an American citizen, you need to enter the United States through a visa. All kinds of visas in the United States require interviews at the US Embassy in China. As mentioned at the beginning of this article,

The type of visa you apply for determines the scope of your legal activities in the United States, which also determines whether you (your children) can go to school legally in the United States.

Most visas have differences between the principal applicant and the domestic assistant applicant. Your child can be a principal applicant or an assistant applicant.

1, with children as the main applicants.

B 1/B2 children's tourist business visa

First of all, children can't go to school legally in the United States through a B 1/B2 tourist business visa. This visa is mentioned because most China people come to visit relatives in the United States through this visa, which is also the most concerned issue. B 1/B2 visa has no auxiliary applicant, and children, like their parents, are all B 1/B2 visas. As the name implies, the B 1/B2 visa can only be used for tourism or simple business activities, and it is not allowed to go to school.

Children F 1 student visa

The regulations of F 1 visa are complicated, which will be carried out from three aspects: public primary and secondary schools, private primary and secondary schools and universities.

Public primary and secondary schools

According to American immigration law, F 1 visa cannot be issued to students in public kindergartens to Grade 8 (Grade 2). So if your child goes from kindergarten to grade 8 (grade 2), applying for F 1 can't go to public schools in the United States.

If your child is in grade 9 to grade 12 (grade 3 to grade 3), American immigration law only allows students to attend 1 school year, and they must pay the tuition for this school year (ordinary Americans attend public primary and secondary schools for free). That is to say, if your child is in grade 9 to 12 (grade 3 to grade 3), then he or she can only study in a public middle school in the United States for one year and needs to pay tuition.

Private primary and secondary schools

American immigration law does not prohibit students from attending private primary and secondary schools. However, the issuance of the F 1 visa requires the school to issue the materials named I-20. Not every private primary and secondary school is qualified to provide I-20. Only those private schools that belong to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) can issue I-20 to help their students get F 1 visas. So, before you register your children in private primary and secondary schools, please make sure that the school can issue I-20.

Universities (public and private)

At the university level, there is no difference between public schools and private schools. Your child can choose any public or private university to apply for the F 1 visa. There is no limit to the length of stay in the United States. As long as college courses continue, your children can go to school legally. However, similarly, not all universities can issue I-20. Before you choose a school, please make sure it can issue I-20.

2. Children as auxiliary applicants

Parents are the main applicants for a certain type of visa, and children are the secondary auxiliary applicants.

Visa applications vary from primary and secondary schools to universities.

Parent F 1 student visa

Many parents will get the opportunity to study in the United States during their work. If the parents apply for a master's degree or even a doctor's degree (F 1 student), then the children can enter the United States as F2 auxiliary applicants. F2 status allows children to legally attend American primary and secondary schools. If it is a public primary and secondary school, it is not even necessary to pay tuition fees, and there is no time limit (as long as the parent visa is still valid).

Parents' H 1B work visa

If your parents are employed by an American company, the American company is willing to apply for an H 1B work visa for you, and you are lucky enough to pass the cruel lottery of H 1B, so your child can enter the United States as H4. H4 status allows your children to attend not only American primary and secondary schools, but also American universities. After meeting the living conditions, you can even apply for preferential university tuition policies that only students in this state can enjoy (as long as your parents' visas are still valid).

Parent L 1 visa for executives and technicians of multinational companies.

If your parents are sent by a domestic company to serve as executives or technical talents in an affiliated company established by a domestic company in the United States, then you can get an L 1 visa. Your children will get L2 status and enjoy preferential policies similar to H4 status (as long as their parents' visas are still valid).

Parent J 1 visiting scholar visa

If parents go to the United States for further study as visiting scholar J 1, your children will be granted J2 status and enjoy preferential policies similar to those of H4 and L2 (as long as their parents' visas are still valid).

After reading so many visa types, I believe you have a general understanding of American immigration law. If you are considering sending your children to the United States for education, please make a visa choice as soon as possible according to your own situation and start preparing visa materials.