What kind of visa is China F visa?

F- 1 visa is a kind of visa issued to foreign students studying full-time in schools recognized by the US government. These schools can be universities, colleges, professional schools, primary and secondary schools, technical or vocational schools, language schools and so on recognized by the US government. Foreign students studying in these schools have been engaged in formal studies for a long time, with the aim of completing their studies and obtaining degrees, diplomas or academic certificates. F- 1 The characteristics of the visa are:

The validity of a visa is very long, usually five years. Once you enter the United States with this visa, you can stay for up to eight years as long as you maintain your registered student status. Moreover, if there are no special circumstances, the visa does not need to be extended;

During the validity period of the visa, you can freely enter and leave the United States, as long as it does not constitute academic interruption, and the entry and exit time is not limited;

You can go to America with your family;

You can work for a limited time or apply for a work permit from the Immigration Bureau;

If the number of courses or class hours can be reduced due to health or academic reasons, full-time study is not needed, and the student visa is still retained, and it is not necessary to apply for permission from the immigration bureau, as long as the written approval of the full-time official of the school is obtained;

If you get a college degree or above, and then apply for a green card through professional immigrants, it is more advantageous than other non-immigrant visas.

2. U.S. government restrictions on F- 1 visa

F- 1 Student visa holders need to show their visas and I-20 forms when entering the country. It is on the basis of these two documents that immigration officials at border crossings allow entry and decide the time to stay in the United States. When you enter the country with an F- 1 visa, the I-94 entry card generally only indicates the date of entry and has no validity period. Generally, only D/S is signed on the due date, indicating that the holder is within the study period of registered students. The end of the study period is the expiration date of their visa or identity. Holders of F- 1 visas can retain their registered school status for up to 5 years, and their identity indicated on the I-94 card can be valid for up to 8 years after entry. Moreover, the validity period is continuous, and there is no need to apply for an extension halfway.

Any government-recognized official school in the United States must apply to the Immigration Bureau if it wants to recruit foreign students. If approved, it will be eligible to issue an I-20 form (qualification certificate) authorized by the Immigration Bureau. Moreover, at least one designated official recognized by the immigration bureau and the embassy or consulate is responsible for handling international students' affairs. This official is called "School Commissioner" and China students are generally called "Student Advisor". Because it is difficult for the Immigration Bureau to directly manage the 654.38 million+foreign students in China, the student's identity-related affairs are directly managed by this student consultant. Another basic duty of the student adviser is to report the relevant information of the students to the Immigration Bureau regularly or irregularly, such as whether the students continue to register at school, whether they have illegal jobs, whether they are studying full-time, whether they are transferring to other schools, etc. So that the Immigration Bureau can know the situation of students routinely, or make decisions or punishments when students violate the regulations, such as revoking visas or even ordering them to leave the country.

3. Provisions on work

With a student visa of F- 1, you can do the following work according to the regulations:

Campus work. Jobs provided by schools or other institutions serving schools, such as cafeterias and small shops. However, those who have business relations with schools do not belong to this scope, such as building dormitories and post offices for schools on campus. The working hours are no more than 20 hours per week, but you can work full-time on holidays, and the work on campus does not need the approval of the Immigration Bureau.

Work as part of a scholarship. If you get a scholarship or grant, but only if you undertake a certain job or part of it. In this case, even if the workplace is off campus, there is no need to obtain the approval of the immigration bureau.

Special jobs outside school. This kind of work is limited to employers participating in pilot research projects. Employers can only apply to the Ministry of Labor for hiring foreign students if they cannot hire suitable American workers for 60 consecutive days. Students in general employment can apply to the student counselor for approval as long as they study well, without the approval of the immigration bureau. However, not many employers have obtained this qualification, so it is difficult for ordinary students to find this opportunity;

Internship work. There are two kinds of internships: course internships and graduation internships. Course practice refers to the course-related work practice from the ninth month after the start of registered study to graduation. The internship period of the course generally does not exceed 1 year, and it is not necessary to apply to the immigration bureau, but it can be approved by the student consultant. Graduation practice refers to the work practice after completing studies, which can be up to 1 year at the longest. The application for graduation internship must be approved by both the Immigration Bureau and the student counselor, but those who have had more than 1 year of course internship before graduation are not qualified for graduation internship.

4. What are the requirements for applying for an F- 1 visa?

Must study full-time;

The registered study period is not less than 12 semester. College students (students studying languages, liberal arts, fine arts or other non-professional courses in schools recognized by the government with college level) shall have no less than 12 class hours per week; Primary and secondary school students need to meet the minimum class hours stipulated by the school; Students studying in technical schools, vocational schools or other non-academic schools mainly attend classes, with no less than 18 class hours per week; Give priority to with laboratory teaching, not less than 22 hours a week;

The purpose of study must be to obtain a degree, diploma or proof of study, not just to increase academic background;

The school applying for admission is a school approved by the US Immigration Bureau and has the right to enroll foreign students;

English level;

Financial resources: applicants must be able to prove that they have sufficient financial resources to complete their studies in the United States without relying on work. The best proof is the written commitment and proof of financial guarantee ability issued by the applicant's parents or relatives;

Intention to return to China: The student visa is a temporary visa, so when applying, the applicant should indicate that he will return to his country of residence after completing his studies.

5. Required application materials

First, apply to the embassy or consulate

To apply for an F- 1 visa from an American embassy or consulate abroad, you need to provide the following documents and materials:

(1)I-20 form, namely "qualification certificate";

(2) Form-156, namely "Application Form for Non-immigrant Visa";

(3) passport;

(4) photos;

(5) Marriage certificate and child birth certificate (if there are accompanying dependents);

(6) If you remarry and have accompanying family members, you need to submit the original marriage certificate, such as divorce certificate or spouse's death certificate;

(7) Proof that the applicant will return to the country of residence after completing his studies, such as real estate documents, stocks, industrial inheritance, overseas relatives, job opportunities or promotion opportunities after returning to China, etc. ;

(8) clear academic qualifications, such as graduation certificate, academic transcripts, etc. However, some embassies and consulates do not require it;

(9) Proof of English proficiency, such as T0FFL test transcripts, as the case may be;

(10) proof of economic source. Such as deposits, scholarships, guarantees and abilities provided by parents or bank certificates;

Two. Apply to the Immigration Bureau

Applicants who enter the United States with other non-immigrant visas must meet the following conditions when applying to the Immigration Bureau for change of identity:

(1) Schools that have been recognized by the government have accepted and issued the I-20 form;

(2) legally entering the United States with a valid visa;

(3) No illegal work record;

(4) Its I-94 entry record card has not expired.

The documents and materials to be submitted are as follows:

(1)I-20 form, namely "qualification certificate";

(2) Form I-539. If you have accompanying family members, you should also use a watch;

(3)I-94 entry record card. If there are accompanying family members, they should also be submitted;

(4) Marriage certificate and child birth certificate (if there are accompanying dependents). (If you remarry and have accompanying family members, you need to submit the original marriage certificate, such as divorce certificate or spouse's death certificate;

(5) Proof that the applicant will return to the country of residence after completing his studies, such as real estate documents, stocks, industrial inheritance, overseas relatives, job opportunities or promotion opportunities after returning home, etc.;

(7) Proof of English proficiency, such as T0FFL test transcripts, or other certificates recognized by the school:

(8) proof of economic sources, such as deposits, scholarships, overseas guarantees, etc. ;

(9) Application fee.

To apply for an individual non-immigrant visa to an American embassy or consulate, you must personally apply to the embassy or consulate and answer the questions raised by the visa consul.

6. What should I do after refusing the visa?

If the applicant's application is rejected, although the applicant can continue to apply, if new materials or certificates are not produced, the chances of getting a visa are still very small. Generally speaking, the US Immigration Bureau will explain in detail the reasons for the rejection of visa applications, and it is easier for applicants to submit new materials. However, American embassies and consulates do not always tell applicants in detail about the application and the reasons for refusing visas, and sometimes they do not even explain the reasons. However, as far as F- 1 visa application is concerned, most of the reasons for refusal are that the consul has doubts about the applicant's intention to return to China in the future, which is commonly referred to as "immigration tendency". Secondly, there are doubts about the economic source of the applicant during his study in the United States, and he is suspected of working illegally in the United States. Therefore, if the visa application for F- 1 is rejected and the applicant wants to reapply, he must provide new materials or certificates in terms of his intention to return to China and financial resources, so that the reapplication will have a better chance.