M-1 Visa – Houston Immigration Law Firm

M-1 is a non-immigrant student visa, which allows foreign citizens to take a full course of study in non-academic programs or study during holidays in the United States.
m-1-student visa lawyer in houston

Details on the student visa M-1

The M-1 visa is suitable for international students who wish to study in the United States during the holidays or take a non-academic course (except for language courses) at a college, university, or conservatory in the United States. Visa M-1 allows the student to stay in the country for a year, or for as long as he/she studies full-time, plus 30 days to leave the country.

Students with an M-1 visa have the right to change their status to another category of temporary US visas. However, M-1 does not allow its holder to apply for a H1B or F1 visa, if the invitation to work is based on the knowledge gained by the student through training on an M-1 visa.

Advantages of M-1 Student Visa

M-1 visa holders have the right to:

  • travel within the United States and outside of the U. S. (short trips with the right of return), or reside in the United States until the end of the study period;
  • transfer from one educational institution to another, notifying the USCIS of a similar change;
  • to work legally at an educational institution on the basis of part-time employment;
  • It is legal to work not at an educational institution on a project related to the area in which the student is studying;
  • apply for an M-2 visa for family members accompanying the holder of an M-1 visa. The M-2 visa is issued to the spouse / spouse and minor (under 21) children of the M-1 visa holder. The above dependents have the right to stay in the United States during the term of legal residence of the main holder of the visa.

Note: after the expiration of 6 months from the moment of the beginning of studies, a student with an M-1 visa is not entitled to change the program for which he / she is studying, except for really exceptional circumstances.

Extension of stay:

After graduation, a student with an M-1 visa may apply for an extension of his/her stay in the USA if he/she is going to undergo an internship in a field. As a rule, the status of M-1 will be extended at the rate of 1 month of practice for every 4 months of training. In this case, the total internship period may not exceed 6 months.

To extend your stay in the United States, you need to send the completed I-539 form (application for extension or change of non-immigrant status) to the USCIS no later than 15 days (but not earlier than 60 days) before the time allowed for you to expire in USA. In addition, you must submit Form I-201D to the USCIS.

Claudine Gasana is one of the best lawyers in Houston, Texas. We provide non-immigrant visa help for student visas such as M-1 Visa F-1, J-1 etc.

Contact Law Firm Houston.