F1 ACADEMIC STUDENTS
The F1 nonimmigrant visa or "student visa" is for academic students. If you are overseas and want a student visa you must apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You may apply for a visa only after you have been accepted to study at a qualified institution and have been issued the appropriate form, which is called an I-20.
You must be able to establish to the satisfaction of a U.S. consular officer that you have strong ties to your home country which you have no intention of abandoning, and that you will depart the U.S. when you have completed your education before the Consul will be convinced that you have the requisite nonimmigrant intent.
Foreign students in F-1 nonimmigrant status who have been enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year in a college, university, conservatory, or seminary certified by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) are eligible for 12 months of optional practical training (OPT) to work for a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student's major area of study.
Frequently Asked Questions - provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association »
Please also see the links below for information on the rule that extends the maximum period of OPT from 12 months to 29 months for F-1 students who have completed a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree and accept employment with employers enrolled in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS') E-Verify employment verification program.
Updates to Post-Completion Optional Practical Training »
Questions and Answers: Extension of Optional Practical Training Program for Qualified Students »
