Pursuing higher education in the United States is an exciting opportunity for many international students. With the right preparation and guidance from an experienced San Diego student visa lawyer, you can successfully secure a student visa and start your academic journey in the U.S. It’s crucial to start the student visa process early to avoid potential delays that could impact your plans. Contact Behar International Counsel, PLC at (619) 234-5962 to learn more about the application process.
The first step in obtaining a student visa is acceptance into a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). A student visa is required for programs that involve 18 or more course hours per week. If you’re studying fewer than 18 hours weekly or taking recreational courses, you may qualify for a visitor or non-immigrant visa instead. A student visa is also necessary if you are attending conferences, seminars, or other programs in the U.S. that provide academic credit.
Student visas can be issued up to 120 days before your program’s start date. If you apply earlier, your application will be held until the visa issuance period begins. Starting the process early is beneficial, as it allows extra time for any necessary paperwork or unexpected delays. Once approved, you may enter the U.S. 30 days or less before your course begins. If you wish to enter earlier, you will need a separate visitor visa.
If you are planning to study in the U.S. or have already started the visa application process, it is essential to have a knowledgeable San Diego immigration lawyer by your side. Our experienced attorneys can help you navigate any issues that may arise during the application or after the process is completed. We can also assist with obtaining a visitor visa if needed.
Contact Behar International Counsel, APC at (619) 234-5962 to learn how we can help you secure your student visa and make your U.S. academic journey a reality.
Academic immigration issues surrounding student visas are multi-faceted. Perhaps you’re in the United States on an F-1 student visa and looking for a tenure-track job. Maybe you have been in J-1 status and need help filing a 212(e) waiver to overcome the two-year home-stay requirement in order to take a job or post-doc in the United States immediately, or perhaps you unfortunately find yourself in a position where you have inadvertently fallen out of F-1 non-immigrant status and need to file for reinstatement of your student status. Our attorneys have experience with these types of issues, and are willing to provide the type of precise advice you need at rates that are within students’ reach.
Our attorneys are available to provide student organizations and schools with seminars about frequently asked immigration questions related to being a foreign student in the United States. We believe that this type of information should be provided as a public service, and accordingly, we generally provide these information sessions free of charge to interested organizations and schools.
Many foreign graduate students in the United States are also faced with the daunting process of solving the difficult twin-problem of finding an academic job in the United States while making sure that they have an immigration status that enables them to work in the United States as professors, lecturers, and researchers. The attorneys at Behar International Counsel have close ties to the academic community and understand the unique challenges of obtaining academic employment. We would be happy to provide you with an accurate assessment of your immigration options in the United States to maximize your professional potential. Our areas of experience include assistance with EB-1 self-petitions for academics and researchers of extraordinary ability, EB-2 petitions for outstanding professors and researchers, EB-2 special recruitment cases for non-tenure track university and college teachers, cap-exempt H-1B petitions for non-immigrant tenure-track teaching and research petitions, as well as TN visas for Mexican and Canadian academics.
If you have any questions about your options as an academic or researcher in the United States, we would be pleased to hear from you and glad to become your partners in achieving your immigration and professional objectives in the United States.