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The admission process into many universities proves to be quite tedious. Most of the issues with this course of action stem from legal actions and repercussions. The change from H4 to F1 is one such process.
When students apply for admission into colleges, it is of utmost importance that they find out if they meet the requirements of the college they intend to apply for.
It is important because the school chosen can help you achieve your post-school ambitions.
There are three research options:
An H-4 visa is a United States visa issued to dependent family members of H-1B, H-1B1, H-2A, H-2B, and H-3 visa holders to travel to the United States and reunite with the principal visa holder.
The acquisition of H4 mostly involves a switch from dependent individuals who just got to 21. It often requires that those with the other immigration status apply for a change of status if they wish to change to H4.
A non-US citizen cannot obtain certain jobs and cannot acquire a certain course of study with the H4 status.
The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) is a visa that allows you to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training program.
This is usually a student program and allows you to get into any school pending authorization to teach international students.
People often wonder why you should change from H4 to F1; the reason is not far-fetched. For international students, one of the major factors that can affect your college choice is your immigration status.
Usually, students that receive an I-20 from a university may have to change their H4 status to F1. This process can happen in two ways: the student can fly outside the United States of America to get the F1 Visa stamped, or can choose to apply for it while still in the United States.
However, the change of immigration status takes about 4-8 months; this depends on the support center you submit the petition to. While awaiting an update on the change of status, you can partake in the educational program.
Furthermore, for those still planning to travel to the US, you can obtain your F1 status from the US consulate. But the most important question is, how do I go about changing from H4 to F1? Read on as we explain it.
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According to USA Admission, students should pay for admission processes of about $485. The application and other documents submitted are usually made to the USCIS. The following are usually included there, namely;
After these documents have been submitted, the student then awaits the acceptance of the change of status.
Time is one of the major issues associated with this switch as students cannot control have fast or slow their change of status is approved.
Another issue is that you may need to attend an F1 Interview while on OPT, which will disrupt your academic activities.
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Whether to retain your H4 status or switch to F1 is solely dependent on the applicant’s needs. One of the cons of getting the F1 status is that the F1 Visa is usually costlier than the H4 visa.
However, having the H4 limits the opportunities available to you, your most viable option is to function as an assistant. You can become either a teacher’s assistant (TA), testing assistant (RA), or an optional practical experience (OPT) assistant.
When deciding what visa you want to obtain, you must check if it aligns with your goals and what you want for your career.
However, it can be said that the choice to retain H4 or to switch to F1 can not be tagged right or wrong, as the needs of various students usually vary.
Awesome one; I hope this article answered your question.
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