Student visa (F-1): from application to graduation

This page is for those who want to study at a university, high school, language school, or vocational school in the United States. An F-1 visa is obtained for academic programs and language schools, and an M-1 visa for vocational schools. Here you will find every step, from school admission and the I-20 to post-graduation work authorization (OPT), along with fees, the addresses and phone numbers of advising centers, and official forms.

• F-1: universities or colleges, high schools, private elementary schools, seminaries, conservatories, and other academic institutions, including language programs.
• M-1: vocational or nonacademic programs other than language training.
• The school must be SEVP-certified. Check the school in the Study in the States school search tool.
• Requirements: full-time enrollment, sufficient English proficiency or enrollment in an English course, enough money to support yourself throughout the program, and a residence abroad that you do not intend to abandon.
• You cannot study after entering with a tourist visa or visa-free. Distance-learning programs that require attendance on campus also require an F or M visa.
• F-1 and M-1 visas for Turkish citizens are issued for 60 months, multiple entry.

1. Choose a school and apply. EducationUSA advising centers provide free assistance (addresses below).
2. Demonstrate financial sufficiency. Before issuing the I-20, the school requests proof: a family bank statement, sponsor letter, scholarship or aid letter, or employer salary letter.
3. Receive the I-20. You and the school official (DSO) sign it; if you are under 18, your parent or guardian signs it. Separate I-20s are issued for spouses and children.
4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee: $350. Payment can be made through fmjfee.com by credit card, check, bank transfer, or Western Union. You need the school code and SEVIS number on the I-20. Print the confirmation page from the same website.
5. Complete the DS-160, pay the $185 application fee, and schedule an appointment. See 1.3 Temporary visa application step by step.
6. Set your social media accounts to “public.” This is required of F and M applicants.
7. Attend the interview. Bring:
   • passport, 1 photograph, DS-160 confirmation page
   • SEVIS payment confirmation and the original I-20 issued by the school
   • proof that you can cover the program expenses
   • transcript, diploma, and test scores requested by the school
   • résumé, invitation letter, military service document, research plan (the Embassy’s additional list)
8. Plan your flight after the visa arrives. A visa for a new student may be issued up to 365 days before the program start date. You may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the start date. Continuing students may enter at any time.

• Public high school (grades 9–12): You may study with F-1 status for a total of no more than 12 months. This period covers all public schools; you may not transfer from one public high school to another.
• The full unsubsidized per-student cost of the school district must be paid before applying for the visa. Show the receipt at the interview and upon entry.
• You may not attend a public elementary or middle school (kindergarten–8th grade) with F-1 status.
• Private schools (K-12): If they are SEVP-certified, there is no time limit.
• Children in F-2 status may attend public schools at their grade level without additional permission.

• Carry your passport, visa, and signed I-20 in your carry-on luggage. A CBP officer may request the I-20 and proof of funds.
• If your documents are incomplete, CBP may issue you a Form I-515A. This form allows entry for 30 days; you must complete the missing items during that period.
• After entry, check your I-94 record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. If the I-94 and SEVIS information do not match, you may have problems applying for an SSN.
• Notify the school by the program start date shown on the I-20. If you will be late, inform your DSO immediately.
• Declare cash or monetary instruments exceeding $10,000 to CBP (FinCEN Form 105).
• For settling-in steps (banking, phone, housing), see 10.0 New arrivals: first 30 days.

• F-1: You may stay as long as your program and authorized OPT period continue (“duration of status,” D/S). You have 60 days to leave the United States after the program end date, including authorized OPT.
• M-1: You are granted a stay for the period of the program and practical training on the I-20, with a maximum of 1 year at a time.
  • An extension is requested using Form I-539. USCIS rejects applications received more than 60 days or fewer than 15 days before the program end date.
  • The total of all extensions may not exceed 3 years + 30 days from the initial program start date.
• An M-1 student cannot change to F-1 status inside the United States.

• F-1 stays will be limited to the program period on the I-20, for a maximum of 4 years; a 30-day arrival period and a 30-day departure period will be added.
• To stay longer, an extension of stay (EOS) application will be filed with USCIS, or you will leave the country and reenter.
• After the program or OPT ends, the departure period will decrease from 60 days to 30 days.
• Language-school students will be able to stay for a total of 24 months.
• In undergraduate programs, the field, school, and education level may not be changed during the first year, except for an SEVP exception.
• Graduate students may not change their field or level during the program; the school may be changed only with an SEVP exception.
• A person who completes a program will not be able to begin a new program at the same or a lower level.
• Those in the United States in “duration of status” on the day the rule takes effect may stay until the I-20 end date (up to 4 years), with a 60-day departure period, without requesting an extension.

• Undergraduate: at least 12 credit hours per term. Graduate: the full course load determined by the school.
• Language and similar programs: 18 hours per week if primarily classroom-based, otherwise 22 hours.
• Online courses: For F-1 students, only one course or 3 credits per term count toward a full course load. They do not count at all for M-1 and language students.
• You may reduce your course load only with DSO approval (academic difficulty, illness, or the final term).
• Before international travel: the DSO must have signed your I-20 within the last year. Do not remain outside the country for more than 5 months.
• Traveling abroad while your OPT application is pending is not recommended. You do not pay the I-901 fee again upon return.
• Discuss plans to change schools or move to a new education level with your DSO in advance.

• You may not begin any paid or unpaid job or internship without authorization. A student who works without authorization will have their SEVIS record terminated.
• On-campus work: jobs serving students (bookstore, cafeteria, dormitory). You may begin no earlier than 30 days before classes start. During the term, no more than 20 hours per week.
• Severe economic hardship authorization: A student who has completed the first academic year and experiences serious unforeseen financial hardship files Form I-765 based on a DSO recommendation; they may not work before the card (EAD) arrives.
• CPT (curricular practical training):
  • An internship that is a required part of the program; the DSO authorizes it.
  • You must have been a full-time student for at least one full academic year.
  • Using 12 months of full-time CPT causes you to lose eligibility for OPT.
• OPT (work in your field):
  • 12 months for each education level. OPT used during school is deducted from the post-completion period.
  • First, the DSO enters a recommendation in SEVIS. For post-completion OPT, Form I-765 must be filed between 90 days before and 60 days after the program end date, and within 30 days of the DSO recommendation.
  • Fee: $520 (paper) or $470 (online). Optional premium processing: $1,780.
  • You may not begin working before receiving the EAD card.
  • For post-completion OPT, employment must be at least 20 hours per week; a total of 90 days of unemployment is permitted.
  • If you change schools or begin a new level, your OPT authorization ends automatically.
• STEM OPT:
  • An additional 24 months in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields on the DHS list.
  • The employer must use E-Verify, and Form I-983 training plan must be prepared.
  • The application is filed beginning 90 days before current OPT ends and within 60 days after the DSO recommendation.
  • If you apply on time, your work authorization is automatically extended for 180 days while awaiting a decision. A total of 150 days of unemployment is permitted.
• Cap-gap: If your employer timely files an H-1B petition, your OPT and F-1 status may be extended until H-1B begins.
• M-1 practical training: only after the program ends. One month for every 4 months of full-time study, for a maximum of 6 months. Form I-765 is filed no more than 90 days before the program end date.

• The spouse and unmarried children under 21 may accompany the student. The school issues a separate I-20 for each person. Family members do not pay the SEVIS fee.
• A copy of the student’s visa and proof of relationship are required with the application.
• F-2 and M-2 dependents may not work and cannot obtain a Social Security Number (SSN).
• Children may attend elementary and secondary school. Spouses and children may take less than a full-time course load at an SEVP-certified school. To study full time, they must change to F-1 or M-1 status.
• Details: 2.7 Spouse and child (dependent) visas.

• Your school’s DSO: the first person to contact about status, OPT, and travel questions.
• EducationUSA centers in Türkiye (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ free advising network): Fulbright Türkiye Ankara center and Istanbul branch, Turkish-American Association Ankara, American Councils Istanbul and Izmir, and EducationUSA Adana.
  • Turkish-American Association Ankara: Cinnah Caddesi No: 20, 06540 Çankaya / Ankara · Phone: +90 530 601 30 90 · Monday–Friday 09:00–18:00
  • EducationUSA Adana: Çınarlı Mah. 61027 Sok. No: 168, Sunar Nuri Çomu İş ve Alışveriş Merkezi B Blok No: 17, 01360 Seyhan / Adana · Phone: +90 553 362 52 25 · Monday–Friday 09:00–17:00
• U.S. Embassy Ankara: Çukurambar Mahallesi, 1480 Sokak No: 1, 06530 Çankaya / Ankara · +90 312 294 00 00
• U.S. Consulate General Istanbul: Poligon Mahallesi, Sarıyer Caddesi No: 75, 34460 İstinye / İstanbul · +90 212 335 90 00
• Visa Information Line: from Türkiye +90 850 390 1950, from the United States +1 313 572 0883.
• SEVP Response Center (SEVIS questions): +1 703 603 3400, weekdays 08:00–18:00 (U.S. Eastern Time). I-901 payment questions: fmjfee.SEVIS@ice.dhs.gov.
• USCIS Contact Center (OPT, I-765, I-539): +1 800 375 5283.

• Enrolling at a school that is not SEVP-certified.
• Going to the interview without paying the I-901 fee or failing to print the confirmation page.
• Trying to enter the United States more than 30 days before the program start date.
• Starting an OPT job before the EAD card arrives.
• Missing the 30-day deadline after the DSO recommendation for OPT.
• Using 12 months of full-time CPT and losing OPT eligibility.
• Counting online courses toward a full course load.
• Changing your address, school, or course load without notifying the DSO.

• Where can I download the I-20 form? There is no blank I-20 to download. The school that accepts you issues the form through SEVIS.
• Who pays the SEVIS fee? The student pays: $350 for F and M. Spouses and children do not pay.
• Can I work while I am a student? Up to 20 hours per week on campus during the term. Off-campus work requires CPT, OPT, or special authorization.
• How long can I stay after graduation? Currently 60 days in F-1 status. If the pending rule takes effect, it will be 30 days.
• Can my spouse work in the United States? F-2 spouses cannot work.
• Do I need to pay $70,000 for OPT? No, not currently. This fee is only a proposal.
• Where should I look for information about taxes and Social Security contributions? For tax residency, see 15.1 Tax residency; for Social Security contributions, see 17.2 Social Security contributions (FICA) and exemptions.

• SEVP-certified school search (Study in the States)
• Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee (fmjfee.com)
• Form I-901, paper application (PDF)
• Form I-765 (PDF)
• Form I-765 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-983, STEM OPT training plan (PDF)
• Form I-983 instructions (PDF)
• STEM fields list (PDF)
• Form I-539, change of status and M-1 extension (PDF)
• Form I-765 mailing addresses
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (PDF)
• DS-160 form (CEAC)
• Appointment system (ustraveldocs)
• I-94 inquiry (CBP)
• Find an EducationUSA advising center