DC Student Visa Attorney
While applying for a student visa can often be a tedious and confusing task, a DC student visa lawyer is a helpful resource to assist you in making it through the process as successfully and painlessly as possible. By contacting a DC student visa attorney you will be able to learn about the eligibility requirements for the different student visas and which kind of student visa is the best fit for your situation. Additionally, if any problems arise during the application process, an immigration attorney with experience handling these matters can work on your behalf to try to overcome any obstacles to your educational opportunities.
Hiring a Student Visa Lawyer
If you are attempting to obtain a student visa, a DC student visa lawyer can be of assistance. However, an attorney can also help if something has happened that could jeopardize your immigration status. In addition, an immigration attorney can help those who want to change into a different status because, for example, they’ve married a US citizen or have been the victim of a crime that makes them eligible for a U visa.
The most common circumstance that people in student status need an immigration attorney is when something has gone awry, like they’ve stopped attending school full time or been charged a crime that has placed them into removal proceedings. In these situations, having an attorney is extremely important.
A DC student visa lawyer can be especially helpful if anything goes awry, as it’s extremely important to have an advocate who understands immigration law in a broader context and understands all the implications that an overstay or a criminal conviction can have. A seasoned student visa immigration lawyer will have a lot of experience dealing with complex immigration matters which clients generally recognize and appreciate.
Types of Student Visas Available
There are three types of traditional of student visas which are F visas, M visas, and J visas.
The F visa is what people think of when you talk about the traditional student visa. It’s available to people who are coming to the United States to study at accredited universities and who wish to pursue their studies full time. It’s also available for people who want to enter language training programs. It’s the most common type of student visa.
The other two student visas are the M and the J visas. The M visa is similar to the F visa, but it’s available to people who are coming to the US to study at non-academic institutions like vocational schools or other learning institutions that wouldn’t fall under the traditional definition for an academic institution.
The last one is a J visa, and it’s a little bit broader than the F and the M. It’s called a “cultural exchange” visa and it encompasses a broad range of activity. You could apply for a J visa as a student, professor or research scholar, an academic specialist, a foreign physician, a teacher, a counselor, or even a summer intern who’s coming here for summer school in a travel or work abroad program. It also includes au pairs.
Obtaining a Student Visa
Generally, the F visa is the easiest to obtain simply because it is the most common and the requirements are very straightforward. You essentially just need to prove that you are coming to the U.S. to pursue bona fide academic studies at an accredited academic institution.
In some cases, the M visas can be more difficult to obtain because it can be a challenge that your institution qualifies. This is because the accreditation requirements are a bit less clear for non-academic institutions.
The first and most important thing when acquiring a student visa is that you have to be otherwise admissible to the United States. This means that you are not legally barred from entering this country due to things like criminal convictions or prior immigration violations. Students are subject to the same admissibility requirements as any other immigrant and temporary visitor to the U.S.
Aside from the admissibility issue, which is the same for all student visas, the other requirements differ from visa to visa. The traditional F-1 basically asks you to prove that your academic institution is one that is accredited and has been approved by the US Department of Homeland Security through the SEVIS Program. If you are unsure of how to complete this step—contact a DC student visa lawyer for additional information or help.
Additionally, you have to prove that you’re qualified to enroll in that school and that you’re coming here to be a full-time student.
- How to Apply For a Student Visa
- Student Visa FAQs
- Student Visas and Criminal Charges
Common Student Visa Problems
Sometimes student visas can be denied even if the individual meets all other eligibility requirements but they are otherwise inadmissible. For instance, like they might have criminal records in their home country and are ineligible for that reason. Sometimes people apply for admission at schools that are not approved by the Department of Homeland Security’s SEVIS system, which will also lead to a denial.
The first thing a DC student visa attorney will figure out is whether the school that the person wants to attend is on the DHS approved list of schools. The second thing is to make sure that the applicant is actually going to academically qualify for admission at that school.