Summer School - College transfer

[Nino]

Hi,

I'm a perplexed with the F-1 visa. Here's what I'm trying to do:

I'd like to go to a summer programme over at Berkeley that's supposed start around June 25 and end on Aug 17. During that time I'm taking several courses which have a set number of hours that are taught per week. So far so good, the folks over there told me that I can get an F-1 visa to which they'll attest when I sign up and complete payment. HOWEVER. Right after I finish my summer session I'll be starting college in the U.S., in Indiana. Of course I'll be needing an F-1 visa to study there too. My question is a bit complicated so i'll split it up.

1. How can I attend both the summer programme and college after that? What kind of visa arrangement should I make? Based on some regulations I've checked out http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/type..._1268.html#stay it says :

How long may I stay on my F-1 student visa?

When you enter the United States on a student visa, you will usually be admitted for the duration of your student status. That means you may stay as long as you are a full time student, even if the F-1 visa in your passport expires while you are in America. For a student who has completed the course of studies shown on the I-20, and any authorized practical training, the student is allowed the following additional time in the U.S. before departure:

F-1 student - An additional 60 days, to prepare for departure from the U.S. or to transfer to another school.

If I'm reading this right, I need only one visa, a visa for Berkeley, after I'm through with my programme there I can directly transfer to my other school without having to leave the country to apply for another visa. If I get it right I shouldn't have to leave the states until I'm finished with my studies for that academic year and am ready to renew my F-1.

2. My studies over at berkeley take less than 18 hours a week, do I need an F-1 for berkeley in the first place? I already have a 10-year visitor visa, so if that were the case that would simplify my visa process immensely. Even though the site says I don't berkeley's online FAQ implies that it's a given, because berkeley's maximum courseload is set up so that you can't really go over more than 18hrs/week the whole F-1 reference is altogether strange. I should note that I'm not going there primarily for tourism however, so the idea does run counter to the spirit of the law I guess.

If you are going to the U.S. primarily for tourism, but want to take a short course of study of less than 18 hours per week, you may be able to do so on a visitor visa

< http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/type..._1268.html#stay

[elz]

May I begin by saying "Yuck, this is an icky question." The good news is that it can be done. Just as you have stated, you will apply to the other program and there will be an extension of your status.

Question 1:

Yes, you are reading it right - sort of - you will not have to leave the country and apply for another visa, but you will have to adjust your status. Have you been accepted in Indiana? The easiest thing would be to ask the International Student Office over at Indiana about the steps. The only hitch that I can foresee is that the I-20 that you get from Berkeley is going to have a date for study to end earlier than the start date for Indiana, so it will not be the same as a transfer from one degree program to another. The best is to get in touch with the school in Indiana via e-mail and ask them what you will need to do. I know that this can be done. However, since the documentation that makes it happen will ultimately be issued by the school in Indiana, it is best that you get in touch with them. If they are baffled, we can get out the rules and regs, but I think that the school in Indiana could probably do this in their sleep, so why not just ask them first?

Students need student visas. It not only runs counter to the spirit of the law, but since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and the SEVIS program, it runs counter to the letter. Be very careful on this because anyone holding a ten year tourist visa has been operating under a different set of regulations and so it is really easy to slip up. In some ways there are shared characteristics in the two visas and then in other ways they are different - it is hard. I have had the same thing here actually. I confused tourist visas and business visas here - so it can happen to anyone, anywhere. Students have to report in. Tourists are allowed to freely roam about. Now this brings up another question - are you sure that you are going to be issued an F-1 Visa and not a J-1 Visa? You need to be certain of this since you are planning to change schools. It is not a big deal, but you want to know what visa you will actually be holding when you decide to head over to Indiana.

I am under the impression that you are a graduate student, but whatever the case, in general to obtain an F-1 visa, you will need to be considered enrolled fulltime at a school. Does the amount of time you will be attending classes during the summer meet the fulltime enrollment criteria? Otherwise you are proably looking at a J-1 visa.

You need to be certain that you will be holding an F-1 Visa for summer school and then once you know what visa you will be holding, and once you have been accepted in Indiana, you may contact the International Student Office in Indiana and ask them about the procedure. They may have some special time line that they want to follow on this, so once they have admitted you, it would be appropriate to contact them. In fact, if you are admitted, they are probably preparing an I-20 for you and would most likely like to know this. If you will recall, your application for admission asked you about your visa status...precisely for that reason. They want to know about this, so you can freely contact them.