F-1 and M-1 Visa Programs

In News

• Recently, according to the monthly visa reports it was found that the Indians got nearly twice as many US student visas as Chinese this year.

About F-1 and M-1 Visa Programs

• Country wise assessment
  • China remains the top overall source of international students to America. China accounts for the largest share of international students presently studying in the US.
  • Indian students come in at second position and students from South Korea third. 
• The F-1 category 
  • It is a non-immigrant visa for those who wish to study at a university or college, high school, private elementary school, seminary, conservatory, language training program or other academic institutions in the US.
  • The F-1 visa gives you the option to transfer to a University after you have completed your community vocational program. 
  • The F visa is classified into F1 and F2 visas.
    • F1 visas are used by non-immigrant students for Academic and Language training Courses. 
    • The F2 visas are used by the dependents of F1 visa holders. Spouses and unmarried, minor children are said to be the dependents of the F1 visa holder.
• M-1 category
  • It is another category of student visa meant for foreign nationals who wish to study at vocational or other recognised non-academic institutions, other than language training programmes, in the US.
  • On an M-1 visa you may only attend a vocational program for one year and then you must return to your home country. M-1 students are not allowed to continue on to the University level. 
  • The M visa is classified into M1 and M2 visas.
    • M1 visa is used by a person who wishes to do a non-academic or vocational course. 
    • The M2 visas are given to the dependents (spouse and unmarried, minor children) of the M1 visa holder. 
• Significance for the US
  • International students make a significant contribution to the US economy as most pay much higher tuition rates than American citizens.
    • In 2019, international students contributed $44 billion to the US economy.
• United Kingdom
  • Another country that attracts a lot of foreign students, the UK, too, has registered a sharp increase in Indians getting student visas compared to their Chinese counterparts.

Source:IE