J1 to F1 transfer

G

google90

New Member
Hello,

I was looking for the answer of my question but I couldn't find it though so I am gonna ask you here, hope you can help me.
I am an au pair in my second year in California. I would to like to switch my J1 visa to F1 student visa and start college here. I know that if I will receive a student status I would not be able to leave the country. I wanna obey that and have F1 visa stamp in my passport and feel free to travel wherever I want during my time here. I also know that is extremaly risky to go back after my au pair year and apply for student visa in my country (I am from Poland).
My idea is to apply for college now and after when government approve my status go to Poland and apply for F1 over there. If they won't give me F1 visa, am I able to come back to the US with my still valid J1 visa and finish the program anyway? Does my current visa get expired right after they approve my new status? What about applying for a student visa in Mexico? Can I go there instead of all the way to Europe?

I appreciate any answer! Thank you,
Pawel.
 
Hi,I am a final year xxxx Engg. student at IIT Bombay. I have a query about J1 and F1 visas. I plan to go to US in March 2009 for 3 months working on a project in xxxxxx Univ at xxxxx. This project and my stay is going to be funded by an international collaboration. So I would have to apply for a J1 Visa to go in March. Also, I have applied to US Schools for admission to PhD program in Fall 2009. So if given admission, I would apply for an F1 Visa to go to US in Fall 2009.
Now would the fact that I had got a J1 Visa earlier, hamper my chances at getting an F1 Visa? I heard that there is some rule by which once you get a J1 Visa, you can’t go back to US for the next 2 years. Please solve this query of mine.
 
Getting the F1 visa in general after a school accepts your application is relatively straightforward and they will help you with documents part. However you are right to be able travel in and out of the US, once you have received your approved F1 status from the USCIS, next time you leave the US, you have to get a visa stamp from a US consulate and with that you have your multi-entry authorization from the US.
 
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