U.S.
Immigration law says that if a person's main intent
in coming to the U.S. is to study in a full-time program,
he or she must come on a student visa (F1).
B
nonimmigrants (B1 visitors for business and B2 visitors
for pleasure) and F2 dependents are prohibited by law
from enrolling in a course of study unless they apply
for and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approves
a change from B status to F1.
It
is a difficult and lengthy process to change visa status
from B1 or B2 to F1 after you enter the United States,
and there is no guarantee that the change will be approved
by the immigration service. In addition, a person who
applies to change to F1 status may not begin studying
until the change is approved. Therefore, it is more
important than ever that anyone who is planning to study
full-time in the U.S. enter on an F1 student visa.
If
you are in any doubt about which kind of visa you need,
we recommend you ask either your local counseling source
or the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country for
information. You can also contact our office at ipinfo@ucsd.edu,
or visit the U.S. Department of State's websites:
www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/
educationusa.state.gov/usvisa.htm
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