|
This page
is for schools interested in being approved for nonimmigrant students.
Who is Eligible?
Current USCIS
regulations recognize the following as approved schools:
- A
school operated as a public educational institution by federal,
state, or local government; and
- A
school accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
If an institution
of higher education does not fall into one of these two categories,
it must submit evidence that its course credits are accepted by
at least three accredited schools.
If a private elementary or public or private secondary school does
not fall into one of these two categories, it must submit evidence
that it satisfies the compulsory attendance requirements of the
State in which it is located and that it qualifies graduates for
acceptance by approved schools at a higher educational level, and
in the case of a private elementary or secondary school, that it
is accredited by an accrediting organization, certified by the U.S.
Department of Education's Office of Non-Public Education.
There are two
types of foreign students, F-1 and M-1 nonimmigrants. A school may
be approved for F and/or M students, as described below.
F-1: Approval for attendance of academic students may be
solicited by an accredited college or university that awards bachelors,
masters, doctorate or professional degrees; an accredited community
or junior college that provides instruction in the liberal arts
or the professions and awards associate degrees; a seminary; a conservatory;
an academic high school; a private elementary school; or an institution
that provides language training, instruction in the liberal arts,
the fine arts or the professions, or instruction in one or more
of these disciplines.
M-1: Approval for the attendance of non-academic students
may be solicited by a community college or junior college that provides
vocational or technical training and awards associate degrees; a
vocational high school; a trade school or a school of nonacademic
training other than language training.
Approval Process
If you are a
school interested in being approved for nonimmigrant students, you
should file Form
I-17 (Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant
Student) in duplicate to the "Attention of the USCIS
Schools Officer" at the USCIS
District Office having jurisdiction for the locality where the
school is located. The following requirements must also be met:
- The
Form I-17 must be signed by an officer of the institution who
has authority to sign contracts.
- The
petitioning school must submit certification indicating that it
is licensed, approved, and/or accredited.
HELP!
- For assistance,
contact your nearest
USCIS District Office or Sub Office. This link provides
telephone numbers, addresses, directions, office hours, local
filing procedures, and more.
- You may also
call the national USCIS toll-free information service at 1-800-375-5283.
The information
provided in this website is not legal advice and should not be interpreted
as legal advice. This website is intended to provide a basic understanding
of this information in summary form. This information may not be
comprehensive, is subject to change, and may not apply to all individual
circumstances. Any information received here should be confirmed
with the appropriate government agencies or with an attorney, particularly
as it relates to your individual circumstances. Your use of this
website indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms
of Use.
|
