F2 Visa USA: Your Pathway to American Adventures

Imagine this: You’re on your way to embark on an exciting journey to the land of ambitions and treading towards making your American dream come true! This is not a plot of any rom-com Hollywood movie; it is actually your upcoming endeavour of moving to the land of opportunities, the United States. Imagine yourself accompanying your loved one in their pursuit of accomplishing their dreams and exploring a wider dimension of the world along the way. Acquiring an F2 Visa USA is your golden ticket to exploring this world of unlimited possibilities with your loved one by your side. So, what exactly is this F2 Visa USA?

US Visas Types

The US visas are mainly consistent with two important categories:

1. Non-immigrant Visas: These US visas are predominantly used for tourism, short visits, and temporary stays in the USA. They are also sought after for visiting family and friends residing in the United States. Given the country's world-class medical infrastructure, individuals from around the world apply for these visas when they require medical treatment. 
2. Immigrant Visas: Immigrant visas are used when an individual is planning on moving to the USA permanently for educational or work purposes. This visa includes several categories covering individuals coming from various backgrounds. 

F2 Visa US: What is it exactly?

F2 Visa USA is a non-immigrant visa provided to the immediate family members or relatives of F1 Visa holders living in the US, especially students. This includes minor children and spouses of the H1 visa holder who are directly dependent on the individual. Their acceptability and right to live in the US for long periods are tied to the F1 visa holder already living in the US. Particularly for international students in the US, when you apply for your own F1 visa, you can simultaneously apply for the F2 visas for your relatives and close family members. Through this, they can accompany you along when you finally move to the US to join your chosen academic program at your desired university. Additionally, the dependents can also choose to process their application later on and join the H1 visa holder later in the States. 

However, what is to be noted here is that the dependents, aka the student’s relatives and family members, only get the right to live in the USA through an F2 Visa USA. They cannot participate in paid employment. To do this, they might have to go through several other procedures. In the meantime, they can study and enrol themselves in academic endeavours in the best US universities for postsecondary education. They are also allowed to be a part of non-vocational and recreative courses related to politics, history, literature, etc. 

F2 Visa US Requirements

There are several eligibility requirements that students have to fulfil to get the F2 Visa US. Here is what you need to know:

1. You have to be the spouse of an F1 Visa Holder living in the USA or planning to move to the US in the near future for academic purposes. 
2. While in the United States, the F1 Visa Holder should have the financial means to support his/ her dependents and must be able to provide for them according to the country’s living standards. They can easily do this by applying for some of the on-campus jobs in the US as well.
3. You are also expected to provide your home ties that prove in some way or the other that you are willing to return to your motherland once you have accomplished your F1 study program or university degree. 

Documents Required for F2 Visa US

The government of the United States expect you to provide some of your important documents for the process of the F2 Visa US application process. The following are the F2 Visa requirements:

1. Valid Passport
2. Passport Photographs (Recent ones)
3. F2 Dependent SEVIS Form I-20
4. The Form DS-160 confirmation page
5. Financial documents/ evidence prove you can provide for yourself and your dependents. This may include - Payslips, Bank Statements, Tax Records, etc).
6. Receipts from the visa application process & payments.
7. Application forms
8. Valid marriage certificate if you are applying for your spouse’s F2 dependent visa.
9. Birth certificate of the children if applying as the child of an F1 visa holder.

Application Process for F2 Visa 

There are several phases in the process of an F2 Visa application; here are the steps that you need to follow:

Step 1: Obtain a Form I-20

What is a Form I-20? This form contains all the information significant to the course, the time required to complete the course and the total tuition fees paid for the course. This form is usually issued by the institution once you gain admission status in that particular institution in the US. The students must let the institution know about the dependents staying with them through this form. The institution will also be issuing a Form I-20 for the student’s relatives or dependents. Each dependent applying for the F2 Visa USA will also receive the Form I-20. They can continue their visa application process once they have been provided with it. 

Step 2: Form DS-160 Completion

What is a DS-160 Form? This is a non-immigrant visa form that the individuals applying for a non-immigrant visa have to submit. It is an online application developed by the US Department of State to streamline and simplify the process for applicants. It has to be filled out online with all the required information and documents asked for. Based on this, you will be evaluated during your interview and determined whether you qualify for the F2 Visa USA or not.

Once you are done filling out this form, you can go ahead and take the steps further:

• Keep the barcode page with you.
• Schedule an interview by visiting the US embassy or consulate website. Select a location closer to you, probably a city in your own country.
• If you are applying simultaneously with the F1 visa holder, you can choose the interview to be together at the same time, but if you are applying separately, you have to schedule your interview separately as an F1 visa applicant.
• Pay whatever visa application fees that are due at the end. The approximate F1 visa USA fees range from $160 and other charges, such as the visa issuance fee or reciprocity. 

Step 3: Visa Interview

Once you complete all the necessary forms and submit the required documents, your interview will be scheduled with the US consulate. This is one of the most critical stages of the whole F2 visa USA application process. Be ready with all the necessary documents before the interview, and make sure you are punctual. Answer all the questions asked in true honesty. The questions would mostly revolve around your relationship with the F1 visa holder and your overall intention to move to the States with them. The F2 visa processing time is quite short and prompt, so once your visa is approved, you can start packing for your trip to the USA. Your visa as a US student might get rejected as well. read our Common US Visa Rejection Reasons blog and see how to avoid it. 

F2 Visa & Green Cards 

An F2 visa holder cannot directly hop on to become a green card holder, meaning the visa doesn’t provide a two-in-one status. There are several procedures to qualify to become a green card holder in the USA. One of the best things about F2 visas is once the F1 visa holder gains a green card, the F2 visa holders automatically become qualified to get a green card, too. As an F2 visa USA holder, you can also switch to holding another non-immigrant visa, such as the H1B visa, once you have a job offer in a US-based company. This is when the organisation decides to sponsor your H1B visa. With an H1B visa, you can independently apply for a green card and gain permanent citizenship in the United States. 

Benefits of F2 Visa US

There are several benefits of having an F2 dependent visa; some of the important reasons why you can go for this visa are as follows:

1. Simultaneous Stay Extension 

As the F2 dependent visa holder is considered a dependent, if the F1 visa holder has to extend their stay in the country as an international student, the dependent's stay will automatically be eligible for an extension as well. In this case, they can apply for an extension as well. In this case, they will have to submit the Form I-539 Application to Extend/ Change Non-immigrant status form.

2. Healthcare Access 

The USA is known for its world-class healthcare infrastructure; the F2 dependent visa holder will also have equal access to hospitals and medical facilities. However, like any other first-world country, the USA expects all visitors to apply for an advanced insurance plan before their visit. Here are some of the US healthcare insurance plans for international students that you should check out before moving to the country.

3. Green Card Upgradation

Once the primary F1 visa holder gets a green card, the F2 dependent visa holder automatically becomes eligible to apply for the green card without any extra procedure or conditions. For this to happen, the F1 visa holder is expected to acquire an employment-based green card known as the Eb-2 or Eb-3.

4. Change in Visa Status

The F2 dependent visa holder can apply for a change in their visa status anytime in case they have secured a job in the United States or have enrolled for higher education in any of the institutions in the country.

So that was our comprehensive guide to F2 Visa USA. As a dependent or an F1 visa holder in the USA, you must know about the steps to apply for a dependent visa in the US. Hope the above blog helped you as you decide to move to your dream country forever.