The M visa is a nonimmigrant (temporary) visa for those wishing to pursue nonacademic or vocational studies, other than language training.

You will need a different visa if you wish to pursue academic studies or language training (see Becoming an Academic Student in the U.S.) or if you are planning to study in the United States as an Exchange Visitor (see Exchange Visitor Visas).

Am I Eligible?

For eligibility criteria, please see Student Visas.

How Do I Apply from Outside the U.S.?

You first must apply to study at an USCIS-approved school in the United States. When you contact a school that you are interested in attending, you should be told immediately if the school accepts foreign national students. If you are accepted, the school should send you USCIS Form I-20 M-N/ID (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status - For Vocational Students). You should also be prepared to prove that you have the financial resources required for your education and stay in the United States. Please see Student Visas for more information on eligibility.

If you require a visa, you should generally apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over your place of permanent residence. Although you may apply at any U.S. consular office abroad, it may be more difficult to qualify for the visa outside your country of permanent residence.

Documentation
Each applicant for a student visa must pay a nonrefundable US$45 application fee and submit:

1. An application Form DS-156, completed and signed. Forms are also available without charge at all U.S. consular offices;
2. A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States. If more than one person is included in the passport, each person desiring a visa must make an application;
3. One photograph 1 and 1/2 inches square (37x37mm) for each applicant, showing full face, without head covering, against a light background;
4. Form I-20M-N (only bring this form from the school you plan on attending); and
5. Evidence of sufficient funds.

Additional Requirements
You must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that you have binding ties to your residence in your country that you have no intention of abandoning, and that you will depart the United States when you have completed your studies. It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take since circumstances vary greatly.

Visa Ineligibility / Waiver
There are categories of persons ineligible to receive visas under U.S. law. In some instances an applicant who is ineligible, but who is otherwise properly classifiable as a student, may apply for a waiver of ineligibility and be issued a visa if the waiver is approved. If you are found to be ineligible, the consular officer will advise you of any waivers.

Visa Denials

For an explanation of the most common circumstance under which a visa is denied, as well as your right to reapply, see Visa Denials.

Admission through a U.S. Port of Entry

You should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. A visa is issued by a Department of State Consular Office abroad, but a separate U.S. agency, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has authority to deny admission at the port of entry. Also, the period for which you are authorized to remain in the U.S. is determined by the USCIS, not the Department of State Consular Office.

At the port of entry, an USCIS official must authorize your admission to the U.S. At that time, the USCIS official will provide you with a stamped Form I-94 (Record of Arrival-Departure), which will include your admission number to the U.S. and which will note how long you are permitted to stay in the U.S. An USCIS inspector will also write your admission number on your USCIS Form I-20 M-N/ ID. The USCIS inspector will then take pages one and two of this form, known as I-20 M-N. The USCIS will receive the first page (I-20M) and your school will receive the second page (I-20 N) as a record of your legal admission to the United States. You are expected to keep pages three and four, known as the I-20 ID. This document is your proof that you are allowed to study at the indicated institution in the United States.

The date of departure stamped on your Form I-94 will probably be marked with the notation "D/S", which means duration of status. This notation essentially means you are welcome to stay in the United States for as long as you are enrolled as a full-time student in an educational program and making normal progress toward completing your course of study.

You should see your designated school official (DSO) if you need a replacement copy of your I-20 ID. You should also keep safe your USCIS Form I-94, because it proves that you legally entered the United States.

For more information, see:

• Inspection Process for U.S. Entry
• Obtaining an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) (which also explains how to obtain a replacement)
• Length of Stay is Determined by Your I-94 Arrival-Departure Record -- NOT Your Visa

Changing My Status to Become a Student If I Am in the U.S.

You first must apply to study at an USCIS-approved school in the United States. When you contact a school that you are interested in attending, you should be told immediately if the school accepts foreign national students. If you are accepted, the school should send you USCIS Form I-20 M-N/ID (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status - For Vocational Students). You must submit this form, your I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record), and a completed Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) to the USCIS. You must also prove that you have the financial resources required for your education and stay in the United States. For more information, see How to Change to a New Nonimmigrant Status.

Applying for Permission to Transfer Schools

You must file Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) with the USCIS. You should also submit your current USCIS Form I-20 ID (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status - For Vocational Students), a complete USCIS Form I-20 M-N/ID from your new school, and the USCIS Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Documents) of your spouse and children. You may transfer sixty days after filing this application. However, if your application is denied after you transfer, you will be considered to be out of status. This means you may be required to leave the country.

Please note: To be eligible to transfer to another school, you must currently be a full-time student, and you must intend to be a full-time student at the new school. You must also prove that you have the financial resources required for your education and stay in the United States. In addition, you may only transfer to another school within the first six months from the date you were admitted to the United States to begin your studies or from the date you changed your nonimmigrant status to become an M-1 student. You are not allowed to change your educational objective.

Bringing My Spouse and Children to the U.S.

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age may come with you to the United States in M-2 nonimmigrant status. They should go with you to the U.S. embassy or consulate when you apply for your student (M-1) visa. They should be prepared to prove their relationship to you. If your spouse or children are following to join you at a later date, they should provide the U.S. embassy staff with a copy of your USCIS Form I-20 ID and proof of their relationship to you. The M-2 status of your family will be dependent upon your status as the M-1 vocational student. This means that if you change your status, your family must change their status as well. If you lose your status, your family will also lose their status. (For more information on changing status, see How to Change to a New Nonimmigrant Status).

Your family members must meet all visa eligibility requirements, including evidence that they will have sufficient funds for their support, and that they will depart the U.S. when your program ends. Spouses and children of students may not accept employment at any time.

How Long Can I Stay in the U.S.?

You are allowed to stay in the United States for one year or for as long as you are enrolled as a full-time student in a vocational program (plus thirty days to prepare to leave the country), whichever is shorter. You should be allowed to stay in the United States 30 days beyond the departure date on your USCIS Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) and USCIS Form I-20 ID (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status - For Vocational Students), as long as your stay does not exceed one year.

You may also apply to stay in the country after the completion of your studies to pursue practical training. If approved, you will be allowed to have one month of practical training for every four months of study you completed. You will be limited to six months total practical training time. Your designated school official (DSO) is able to assist you in the application process.

Extending My Stay as a Student in the U.S.

You should apply to extend your stay in the United States if your studies will take longer than the date listed on your I-20 ID or your vocational program lasts longer than a year. You should complete Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) and send it to USCIS at least 15 (but not more than 60) days before your authorized stay in the country expires. You should also submit your USCIS Form I-20 ID to the USCIS at the same time. For more information, see Extending My Stay in the U.S.

Will I Be Able to Work?

You and your spouse and children may not accept employment. However, you may apply for practical training after you complete your studies. If approved, you will be allowed to have one month of practical training for every four months of study you have completed. You will be limited to six months total practical training time.

You should submit USCIS Form 538 (Certification By Designated School Official) to the USCIS. Your school official should certify on USCIS Form I-538 that 1) the proposed employment is for the purpose of practical training; 2) the training will be related to your studies; and 3) you cannot receive the same type of training in your country of residence. You must also submit Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), and your I-20 ID, signed by the designated school official (DSO). You should send your application to USCIS no more than 60 days before your student status expires and no later than 30 days after your studies are completed. For more information, see the rules about practical training at Code of Federal Regulations (Title 8, Section 214.2(m)). You may also wish to discuss practical training with the appropriate officials at your school.

Can I Travel Outside of the U.S.?

Students may leave the United States and be readmitted after temporary absences. When making your travel plans, remember that you must be a full-time student to keep your M-1 student status. Upon your return to the United States, you should provide immigration inspectors with:

• A valid passport.
• A valid M-1 entry visa stamped in the passport (if necessary).
• A current USCIS Form I-20 ID signed by your designated school official (you should have the designated school official sign your USCIS Form I-20 each time you wish to temporarily travel outside the United States).
• A new USCIS Form I-20 M-N/ID if there have been any substantive changes in your course of study or place of study.
• Proof of your financial support.

How Can I Get USCIS Forms?

Your should be able to pick up immigration-related forms from your designated school official (DSO). Only your designated school official (DSO) can give you an USCIS Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status - for Vocational Students) or an USCIS Form I-538 (Certification By Designated School Official). If you would like other immigration forms, they are available online, or by calling 1-800-870-3676, or by submitting an online request to receive forms by mail. Further information on forms, filing fees, and fee waivers is available in Forms, Fees & Filing Locations. 

HELP!

• Your school will have a designated school official (DSO) to help you with immigration issues. (However, you are solely responsible for following U.S. immigration laws.) Questions on how to obtain Form I-20M-N should be made to the school. If the school does not have the forms, it should contact its local USCIS office.

• For assistance in your country, contact the nearest U.S. Consulate. You may also wish to contact a U.S. Educational Advisor in your country. See Assistance in Your Country, in the area of our website called Study in the U.S.

• For inquiries on visa cases in progress overseas, contact the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate handling your case.

• For assistance within the U.S., contact the State Department's Visa Office at 202-663-1225. You may also email a general inquiry to usvisa@state.gov. Be sure to indicate the general subject of your inquiry on the subject line (e.g., student visa), and do not expect an immediate reply. You may also write to:

• For assistance within the U.S., you may also contact your nearest USCIS District Office or Sub Office. This link provides telephone numbers, addresses, directions, office hours, local filing procedures, and more.
  
  
• In the U.S., you may also call the national USCIS toll-free information service at 1-800-375-5283.

Additional Information & Links

For eligibility criteria, see:
Student Visas

For information on sources of financial aid, on applying to schools, and on organizations in your country that can assist you, see:
Study in the U.S.

If you are already in the U.S. on another nonimmigrant visa, and you would like to change your status to a student, see:
Changing My Status to Become a Student If I Am in the U.S. (above)

For an explanation of the most common circumstance under which a visa is denied, as well as your right to reapply, see:
Visa Denials

If you wish to pursue academic studies or language training, you will need a different visa. See:
Becoming an Academic Student in the U.S.

If you will be participating in an exchange program, you will need a different visa. See:
Exchange Visitor Visas

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.