Skip to Content
Office of International Programs
Young adults holding flags from different countries.

F-1 Students

An F-1 visa holder is an international student who intends to pursue a full course of study at an SEVP-certified school in the United States. Only SEVP-certified schools are designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to offer courses of study to F1 visa holders.

F-1 visa holders will have an electronic record in SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). Once the educational or professional objectives of the program of study have been attained, the F-1 visa holder is expected by the U.S. government to return to his or her residence abroad.

Visa holders, such as F1, that are temporarily in the United States for a specific purpose are considered "non-immigrants." General information about the F-1 Visa Status, please click here »