If you are planning to bring your spouse and/or children to the U.S. as dependents of your F-1 status, you must apply for I-20s from the Office of Global Engagement so that your dependents can apply for F-2 visas.
Important Information:
- Dependents may enter the U.S. with an F-1 student or after the F-1 student has already arrived in the U.S.
- Dependents’ immigration status is dependent on the F-1 student maintaining their status. Therefore, if an F-1 student loses their immigration status, so does the F-2 dependent.
- Dependents must have an F-2 Form I-20 to enter the U.S. and a valid travel signature on the second page of their I-20 whenever they will depart the U.S. and reenter.
- F-2 visa holders are not allowed to do paid or unpaid work in the United States.
- F-2 spouses may engage in part-time, recreational study but are not allowed to study full-time in the United States unless they legally and officially change their immigration status to F-1 (or another status that allows full-time study).
- F-2 dependent children may engage in full-time study at the K-12 (kindergarten through twelfth grade) levels.
For further information, schedule an appointment with the Office of Global Engagement.