Studying at a college or university in the United States is a dream for many international students, but leaving behind a loved one can be a hard decision. If you are on an F-1 student visa, u may have the option of bringing your dependents with you.
The F2 visa is directly related to the conditions that the F1 visa holder has. There is no cap for it, dependents should just fulfill the requirements and complete the application procedures to get the visa.
Eligibility for F-2 visas
To be eligible for an F-2 visa, applicants should fulfill the following requirements:
- Be a spouse of an approved F-1 visa foreign national
- Be an unmarried child under the age of 21 of an approved F-1 visa foreign national
- Have the financial capacity to support their stay in the U.S.
The eligibility of the F-2 visa is normally based on the status of the F-1 visa holder.
How to apply for the F2 Visa?
The steps to apply for an F2 visa are as follows below.
Get a Form I-20
For the dependents of the F1 visa holder to get an F2 visa, the F1 person should inform the SEVP institution that the dependents also intend to apply for the visa.
With this information, the SEVP institution will also compile and release a form I-20 for the dependents too. Each person who wants to apply for an F2 visa must have a form I-20 to qualify for an F2 visa. After getting this form, the application procedure follows similar procedures to other visas.
Fill in Form DS-160 online
Pay the visa fees
Whereas the F1 visa holder is responsible for also paying the SEVIS I-901 fee, the F2 visa applicant is exempt from this fee.
Schedule your visa interview
When scheduled, you will get an interview confirmation letter which you will show to the officers at the U.S Embassy to prove you have an appointment.
Gather and complete your F2 Visa document file
When you go for your visa interview, you need a file with the required documents. Make sure that the file is complete and there are no important documents missing because your application depends on it.
Here are the requirements for an F2 visa application:
- Your current and previous passports.
- Photocopies of your passport pages.
- The DS-160 confirmation page.
- Proof of financial stability. You can use bank or tax records, employment pay slips, etc as proof.
- A USA Visa Photograph. The photo must be taken within the last six months.
- Interview confirmation letter.
- The receipts which prove you have paid the necessary fees.
- The DS-160 confirmation page.
- Your original Form I-20 and one copy.
- A copy of the F1 visa holder’s I-20 form.
- A copy of the F1 visa (if applicable).
- If you are applying separately, the copy of the F1 visa holder’s passport.
- Original marriage certificate if you are the spouse of the F1 visa holder.
- Genuine marriage proof such as:
- Wedding album.
- Wedding guest list.
- Receipts of wedding spending’s.
- Receipts of honeymoon trips.
- If married at the registrar, submit the wedding affidavit and pictures of you and your spouse with the wedding witnesses.
- Genuine marriage proof such as:
- Original birth certificate if you are the child of the F1 visa holder.
What is the processing time for the F2 Visa?
Processing times vary for visas due to the differences and workloads in U.S Embassies. After your F2 interview, you might get a response immediately from your interviewer on whether you got the visa or you were denied. However, it is more common that the wait will be a few days or weeks.
This is because the U.S Embassy will take their time to look over your documents and responses. They will particularly focus on you and the F1 visa holder’s financial situation to determine whether you can cover your expenses while in the U.S. So if your F2 visa processing is taking too long, do not be alarmed as the U.S Embassy either has a heavy workload or is taking their time to analyze your case.
What Can I Do With a F2 Visa?
Since the F2 visa is directly related to the F1 visa, it will have the same validity. If your spouse on an F1 visa is allowed to stay in the U.S for 2 years, your F2 visa will also have a validity of 2 years.3
Extend your stay
In case the F1 visa holder extends their stay by getting a new Form I-20, you as their dependent will also get a renewal. To get your F2 visa renewed, you should file Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. You should attach proof of your relationship with the primary F1 visa holder and financial evidence that you have enough funds to cover your stay.
Change your status
With an F2 visa, you are also allowed to apply to change your status. If you enroll in an academic degree with an SEVP approved institution, you will have to apply for an F1 visa and you might get a change of status. In addition, if you find a job which requires an H type work visa such as an H-1B visa, you and your employer can petition with USCIS and follow the appropriate procedures to change your status.
If you are the unmarried child under 21 years old of an F1 visa holder and you turn 21 while in the U.S, you will have to apply for a different type of visa to remain in the U.S. This is because you will no longer qualify as the dependent of the F1 visa holder and will have to return to your home country if you do not get a different type of U.S visa.
Get a green card
If the F1 visa holder applies and gets a Green Card, you as their dependent on an F2 visa, automatically get the Green Card too. However, you can also try to apply yourself. If you find an employer willing to sponsor you, you can file for an Employment Based Green Card. Otherwise, you could also change status to a different visa which allows dual intent and apply for the Green Card.
Have access to healthcare
You can have access to American hospitals and medical facilities as an F2 visa holder. However, the cost of treatment may be unbearable for you, as US healthcare costs are the highest in the world. They range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars Thus, you are strongly advised to purchase a health insurance plan that will cover these costs for you.
What are the Limitations to the F2 Visa?
With the F2 visa being a dependent visa, there are many restrictions to what you can and cannot do while in the U.S. The purpose of the F2 visa is for families to remain together while the person with the F1 visa gets their educational degree, which can be for several years. It has no other purpose, and that is why these are the limitations to having it.
You are not allowed to work on an F2 visa
There are no F2 visa work permits. Your F1 spouse or parent has proved that they can afford to cover the expenses of you living in the U.S, so there are no forms of paid employment you can take up within the U.S. You can volunteer or do unpaid work, but you are not allowed to get into any employment agreement.
You are not allowed to get a Social Security Number (SSN)
Since you’re not allowed to work, you cannot get an SSN either. You are only eligible to get an ITIN number for tax purposes.
You cannot travel to the U.S before the F1 visa holder
If you are entering the U.S for the first time, you must either be accompanied by the F1 visa holder or travel after them. You cannot travel to the U.S before the F1 visa holder has been allowed entry into the country. However, there are no other travel restrictions after you enter the U.S the first time. You can travel in and out of the country anytime without being accompanied by the F1 visa holder.
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