Students in certain visa statuses may be eligible to file for a change of visa status to F-1 within the U.S.. by filing a Form I-539 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Be sure to review USCIS Change of Status guidance for more information.
While USCIS guidance linked above indicates the change of status application must be submitted by the expiration of the individual's (or principal's) I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or the expiration of the individual's (or principal's) current status within the U.S. (whichever is earlier), in practice USCIS will adjudicate (process) applications received within 60 days (the 60-day "grace" period) of the expiration of the I-94 or the individual's status (whichever is earlier). PLEASE NOTE whether or not an application will be accepted after the expiration of the individual's current status is at the discretion of USCIS. Individuals interested in changing their status from the B-2 visitor visa will need to review our guidance below very carefully because USCIS has different policies related to these applications.
Some of the benefits related to applying for a change of visa status within the U.S.. include:
Some of the disadvantages related to applying for the change of visa status within the U.S.. include:
To change your status by traveling outside the U.S. you will need to contact the ISSS to provide all required documents for the I-20. Once your request has been processed you will need to depart the U.S. preferably to your home country (strongly recommended to travel to your home country), apply for the visa status you would like to re-enter the U.S., and once your visa is issued you will return to the U.S. For students changing their status to F-1 they may enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to your I-20 program start date. Please note that students changing to the F-1 visa status will be required to attend International Student Orientation and a Check-in and Welcome Session.
The advantages to traveling to change your visa status include:
Some disadvantages to consider related to traveling to change your visa status include:
The ISSS can only provide guidance for change of status applications for students changing to the F-1 visa to study at A&M-Commerce or individuals changing to the F-2 visa status whose F-1 principal is currently studying at A&M-Commerce or is on OPT after completing their studies at A&M-Commerce.
Students desiring to change their visa status to other visa categories or who desire to file for a permanent resident will need to consult USCIS's Change of Status Guidance or consult an immigration attorney.