Know Your Visa

Know Your Visa Type

You will know your visa type by looking in your passport on your visa page under Visa Type/Class.

Note: International Students and Scholars Services and Advising offers resources and services to students holding F1 or J1 visa type only.

If you hold any other visa type, please consult with your personal attorney or Travel.State.Gov (the U.S. Department of State site) for advice.

F-1 Visa Type

An F-1 student is a nonimmigrant whose primary purpose is to pursue a "full course of study" to achieve a specific educational or professional objective, at an academic institution in the U.S. that has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to offer courses of study to such students, and has been enrolled in SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).

A student on an F-1 visa maintains an I-20 document which must be signed by the Principal or Designated School Official (P/DSO) and you, the student. If you are under 18 years of age, your parents must also sign.

J-1 Visa Type

The J Exchange Visitor category was developed to implement the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act (Fulbright-Hayes Act) of 1961. The overall purpose of that Act, and the objective of the Exchange Visitor category, is "to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges."

A student on a J-1 visa maintains a DS-2019 form which must be signed by the Responsible or Alternate Responsible Officer of the sponsoring school and you, the exchange visitor.