H1 to F1

S

Siddharth1

Registered Users (C)
Hi,

I am currently on H1 and plan to switch to F1 for the fall 04 semester. I am currently attending college doing an MS program part time. Besides getting an I-20 from the college, can you tell me what are the steps I need to switch?

Also, how long do you think it will take to get COS approved by INS?
 
Siddharth,

I am also in a very similar situation. I have been on H1B for just about 5 years. I have got an admission for full time MS/PhD in a top school starting Fall 2004. I plan to convert to F1 visa.

Should I apply for change of status or apply directly in India?

How long will it take for COS?

What are the grounds and possibilities for rejection in COS?

Should I send my passport as well when applying for COS?

If I go and apply for F1 directly in India, I would be able to prove financial status comfortably, with my personal savings. But, how to prove intent to return after study? Would the fact that I lived in the US on H1B for more than five years be severly detrimental to my chances for an F1? Even if I had never applied for GC?

I am being told that even if I get a change of status to F1 approved, the next time I leave US, I need to go and apply for F1 at the consulate in India before reentry. In effect, even if COS is successful, I still need to face the visa officer at the consulate in India when I make the next visit to India. What if the VO rejects my F1 visa?

- Murboy
 
Guys, I was on H1 till 2001, then changed to F1. The process is simple, if you plan to get your PP stamped in Canada (thats what I did):
1. You should be in status (meaning, you should have current pay-stubs)
2. Take all your papers to Canada apply for a F1 stamping. This should be pretty easy.
3. Getting a Canadian visa is bit twisty. You need to tell them why you need to visit Canada, need to show your latest pay-stubs.

Few pointers:
Staying on H1, you can study part-time, but you cannot receive aid from the school.
Getting on to F1, you cannot work out-side the school campus (at-least for initial 9 months). But you can work on-campus for 20 hours/week. After 9 months you can work on CPT or OPT.

Hope this helps.
 
Hi cooldude_4all

Could you pls give us details about the consulate experience in Canada? Did they ask you about ties to your home country? Any other tough questions you faced? thanks
 
loveusa03,

They didn't ask any questions. It was just that my documents had to speak. Before getting the Canadian visa, Canadian consulate will make sure "what is the reason you are visiting Canada?", in my case: F1 visa, so before granting me the Canadian visa, they made sure I was in status (Pay stubs) and had an appointment letter from the US consulate in Canada.

All the best.
 
F1 Visa related questions

Hi guyz..
Does anybody know how tough is it to get F1 visa at Mumbai consulate?
Do you have to show huge cash like 10 lakhs or something in your bank account?
Can somebody from the US sponsor / Pay for the fees ? Does he/she need a Green Card for that?

Thank you
 
Hi

I'm currently on H1 for the past four years. My H1 expires in October 2004 and I am quitting my job in July 2004. I am going back to school in Fall 2004 so I need to switch to F1. I'm wondering what my best options are as I need an F1 visa stamp on my passport as I need to go to Europe before school starts.

A. What is Change of status process? How long does it take? Will they also put a visa in my passport?

B. Can I go to Tijuana, Mexico and get my F1 while still employed at my company (on my H1)? I want to do this in end of June, but my school starts on Sept 4th, so apparently I am not allowed to enter the country earlier than 30 days before school starts. So if I can't enter on my F1, can I enter on my H1? Since I will still be employed at my company, is it possible for my H1 to be valid after they issue my F1?

C. Can I go to the US consulate in Chennai, India (my home country) and get the F1? Will they give me multiple entry? How long does it take at the Chennai consulate? Can I get an appointment and will they approve the visa in a day?

Another question is that since my company applied for my Green Card (Labor certification) in Sept 2001, is this considered as "intent to immigrate"? Should I tell the consulate that I applied for GC? My labor certification is not done yet. It is still in the queue. Should I ask my company to withdraw the LC application?


Please help!
- Alisa
 
Last edited by a moderator:
student98,

A. What is Change of status process? How long does it take? Will they also put a visa in my passport?
---------------Apply for a change of status from H1 to F1 at BCIS service center for your state. You can get the docs info from your school international advisor or on BCIS website. Processing time varies a lot can be anywhere between 3-6 months....THEY Will not stamp visa on your PP within US as its a change of status..have to get it done outside US..you will just get a approval petition from BCIS.

B. Can I go to Tijuana, Mexico and get my F1 while still employed at my company (on my H1)? I want to do this in end of June, but my school starts on Sept 4th, so apparently I am not allowed to enter the country earlier than 30 days before school starts. So if I can't enter on my F1, can I enter on my H1? Since I will still be employed at my company, is it possible for my H1 to be valid after they issue my F1?

---------------At any point of time YOU CAN HAVE ONLY 1 valid US visa on your PP....the officer will void your H1 visa and stamp "cancelled with out prejudice at US consulate XXXXXX" before issuing your F1...so the question of returning on H1 does not arise


C. Can I go to the US consulate in Chennai, India (my home country) and get the F1? Will they give me multiple entry? How long does it take at the Chennai consulate? Can I get an appointment and will they approve the visa in a day?
-----------------If they issue you a visa they will give u a multiple entry...reg how long does it take...NO body knows the answer for that..it can be a day or a week or more than that.

until I-140 has been applied you can say GC is not being processed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top