USA Visa

There are three US visas that are relevant from a student's perspective. F-1 student visa is provided to the students for their studies in a US college or university. J student visa is provided for an academic exchange program. M student visa is provided for a non-academic or vocational study or training. Each visa type is applicable for the type of course the applicant is applying for studying in the USA.

CPT as it suggests Curricular Practical Training is a training that applicants can take up while they are enrolled in a full-time course with an F1 visa. It can be either a part-time on or off campus job, research opportunities, etc. On the other hand, OPT is Optional Practical Training can be either taken up during or after graduation. Those studying STEM courses, can also go ahead with STEM OPT Extension. 

With an OPT, international students can get only 12 months of employment. Those who wish to work for a longer duration will need an H1-B visa.

CPT full form is Curricular Practical Training. Whereas, OPT stands for Optional Practical Training. You can apply for both of these simultaneously. However, it should be noted that the CPT can be authorized only until the last day of the final quarter.

The duration of US student visa depends on the applicant's course duration, snce F-1 visa holders have a full-time course, their visas longer than six months of duration. Similarly based on the other visas, applicants' stay in USA will depend on their intent of stay and course or exchange programme duraton. Hence, it varies for all kinds of students visa holders in the USA. 

No, SEVIS fee is an important aspect of the US student visa interview and applicants are required to pay the fee max to max three days prior to the student visa interview. The receipt of SEVIS and MRV fee are both important in order to qualify for the student visa application in the USA. Thus, if there is any missing document, the applicants may be required to submit them within a stipulated time period and they may be issued 221 (g) slip also. So, it is advised that applicants submit and keep all documents handy. 

Yes, student visa holders are allowed to leave the USA only if they have permission from the DSO (Desgnated School Official) of their respective US universities or colleges. Only upon the signatures and permission of the DSO can student visa holders leave the US and re-enter the US territory, if already holding the student visa in the USA and ofcourse if it is valid. WIthout these permissions, applicants cannot exit or enter the USA for whatsoever reasons, thus abiding by rules while holding the visa is must. 

There are applicants who get rejected either because of their missing documents against the section 221 (g) which is not exactly rejection but its more like requesting for more documents from the applicant. Whereas, a proper rejection is registered under section 214 (b) where the applicant is rejected based on any reason which may not fit well with the US consular staff during the interview. Thus, applicants can apply for interview again only if they are able to identify the reason of student visa rejection and avoid such situations. 

In order to sustain the student visa in the USA, non-immigrant applicants will have to follow all major rules. They should attend all classes or keep the attendance up to the mark, avoid getting into illegal activities, maintain decorum in universities, abide by part-time work rules and most importantly have all their documents sorted so that they can be presented at any point of time when requested. Lastly, if the applicant wishes to stay on in the USA, they must request for an extension and not stay on in USA illegally without permission. Following these steps can help students sustain their US study visas.