What Is An F Nonimmigrant Student Visa?

An F-1 nonimmigrant student is a foreign national who is a bona fide student, qualified to pursue a full course of study, and who seeks to enter the United States temporarily and solely for the purpose of pursuing such a course of study at an established college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training program in the United States, particularly designated by him and approved by the Attorney General after consultation with the Secretary of Education. An F nonimmigrant student can also include a foreign a national of Canada or Mexico, who maintains actual residence and place of abode in Canada or Mexico, except that the Canadian or Mexican foreign national’s qualifications for and actual course of study may be full or part-time, and they may commute to the United States institution or place of study from Canada or Mexico.

The foreign national spouse and unmarried minor children of an F-1 foreign national may be qualified as F-2 nonimmigrants.