Guide To Get An F2 Visa: Application, Eligibility, FAQs & More

Those with an F1 visa are permitted to study in the United States at all educational levels, from elementary to graduate. They are also permitted to work in some instances, but they usually travel to the United States to study. If they have dependents, such as a spouse or unmarried children under the age of 21, they are also permitted to bring them to the United States. This is possible with an F2 dependent visa.

The F2 visa is directly tied to the conditions that the F1 visa holder has. There is no limit; dependents must just meet the requirements and complete the application procedures to obtain the visa.

Am I Eligible for an F2 Visa?

To be eligible for an F2 visa, you must fulfill the following criteria:

• Be the spouse of an approved F1 visa holder, or
• Be the unmarried child under 21 years old of an approved F1 visa holder
• Have the financial means to support the family during your stay in the US

Besides these conditions there are also documents that you need to compile before you can begin your F2 visa application.

F2 Visa Documents Requirements

Here are the requirements for an F2 visa application:

• Your current and previous passports.
• Photocopies of your passport pages.
• The DS-160 confirmation page.
• Proof of financial stability. You can use bank or tax records, employment pay slips, etc as proof.
• A USA Visa Photograph. The photo must be taken within the last six months.
• Interview confirmation letter.
• The receipts which prove you have paid the necessary fees.
• The DS-160 confirmation page.
• Your original Form I-20 and one copy.
• A copy of the F1 visa holder’s I-20 form.
• A copy of the F1 visa (if applicable).
• If you are applying separately, the copy of the F1 visa holder’s passport.
• Original marriage certificate if you are the spouse of the F1 visa holder.
• Genuine marriage proof such as:
• Wedding album.
• Wedding guest list.
• Receipts of wedding spending.
• Receipts of honeymoon trips.
• If married at the registrar, submit the wedding affidavit and pictures of you and your spouse with the wedding witnesses.
• Original birth certificate if you are the child of the F1 visa holder.

How to Apply for the F2 Visa?

The steps to apply for an F2 visa are as follows below:

• Get a Form I-20.
• Fill in Form DS-160 online.
• Pay the visa fees.
• Schedule your visa interview.
• Gather and complete your F2 Visa document file.
• Attend your interview.

Get a Form I-20

The SEVP school issues Form I-20 to the F1 visa holder upon acceptance. The form I-20 states the visa’s purpose, estimated costs, and educational program duration. The F1 visa holder must notify the SEVP institution that their dependents want an F2 visa.

The SEVP will also issue a form I-20 for dependents with this information. F2 visa applicants must have a form I-20. The visa application process is similar to other visas after receiving this form.

Fill in Form DS-160 online

The DS-160 form should be submitted online with all the necessary information. When you submit it, the page will generate a barcode and confirmation page which you need to retain for later on.

Pay the visa fees

The $185 F2 visa application fee. You must pay this charge to apply. You should preserve your payment receipt for future reference. Visa issuance and reciprocity fees may apply depending on the nation or US Embassy you apply from.

F2 visa applicants are exempt from the SEVIS I-901 fee, unlike F1 visa holders.

Schedule your visa interview

You can apply as an F2 applicant at the same time as an F1 applicant, or you can apply independently. You can schedule the visa interview at the same time if you apply jointly. This method is genuinely suggested. If you are applying independently, you must schedule your own visa interview. When your interview is arranged, you will receive an interview confirmation letter, which you will provide to the authorities at the US Embassy to prove you have a reservation.

Gather and complete your F2 Visa document file

When you go for your visa interview, you need a file with the required documents. Make sure that the file is complete and there are no important documents missing because your application depends on it.

Attend your interview

Go to your visa interview on time with all the necessary documents. You will have questions regarding your relationship with the F1 visa holder and your intentions for being in the US. If the visa interviewer suspects that you are hiding something or that you intend to violate F2 visa rules, they will deny your visa.

What is the processing time for the F2 Visa?

Visa processing times vary based to US Embassy workloads. Your interviewer may tell you if you received the visa right after your F2 interview. Waiting days or weeks is more common.

This is because the US Embassy will review your documents and respond slowly. They will focus on you and the F1 visa holder’s finances to evaluate if you can cover US expenses. If your F2 visa processing is taking too long, the US Embassy may be overworked or taking their time to review your case.

What Can I Do With an F2 Visa?

Since the F2 visa is directly related to the F1 visa, it will have the same validity. If your spouse on an F1 visa is allowed to stay in the US for 2 years, your F2 visa will also have a validity of 2 years.3

Extend your stay

If the F1 visa holder extends their stay by obtaining a new Form I-20, you will also receive a renewal as their dependent. To renew your F2 visa, complete Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. Attach evidence of your link to the primary F1 visa holder, as well as financial proof showing you have adequate finances to cover your stay.

Change your status

With an F2 visa, you can change your status. If you study at a SEVP-approved school, you may need an F1 visa and a status modification. If you locate a job that needs an H-1B visa, you and your employer can petition USCIS to modify your status.

If you are the unmarried child under 21 of an F1 visa holder and turn 21 in the US, you must apply for a new visa. This is because you will no longer be the dependent of the F1 visa holder and must return home if you don’t secure a separate US visa.

Get a green card

If the F1 visa holder applies and gets a Green Card, you as their dependent on an F2 visa, automatically get the Green Card too. However, you can also try to apply yourself. If you find an employer willing to sponsor you, you can file for an Employment Based Green Card. Otherwise, you could also change status to a different visa which allows dual intent and apply for the Green Card.

Have access to healthcare

You can have access to American hospitals and medical facilities as an F2 visa holder. However, the cost of treatment may be unbearable for you, as US healthcare costs are the highest in the world. They range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. A simple service such as a night at the hospital may cost more than $3000.

Thus, you are strongly advised to purchase a health insurance plan for F2 visa holders.

What are the Limitations of the F2 Visa?

With the F2 visa being a dependent visa, there are many restrictions to what you can and cannot do while in the US. The purpose of the F2 visa is for families to remain together while the person with the F1 visa gets their educational degree, which can be for several years. It has no other purpose, and that is why these are the limitations to having it.

You are not allowed to work on an F2 visa

There are no F2 visa work permits available. Because your F1 spouse or parent showed that they can afford to support your living expenses in the US, you are not permitted to work in the country. You may volunteer or perform unpaid work, but you may not enter into a job agreement.

You are not allowed to get a Social Security Number (SSN)

Since you’re not allowed to work, you cannot get an SSN either. You are only eligible to get an ITIN number for tax purposes.

You are not allowed to enroll in a full educational degree

The F2 visa does not allow you enroll in degree-granting education. A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree cannot be completed with this visa. Only recreational, vocational, and non-credit courses are allowed for fun.

A child dependent of an F1 visa holder can only finish elementary and middle school in the US. High school enrollment is prohibited on an F2 visa. Change of status applications are required.

You cannot travel to the US before the F1 visa holder

If you are visiting the US for the first time, you must either be accompanied by the F1 visa holder or travel after them. You cannot travel to the United States until the F1 visa holder has been granted entry into the country.

There are no extra travel limitations once you visit the United States for the first time. You may enter and exit the country at any time without being accompanied by the F1 visa holder.