This information is for those individuals who are NOT in F-1 status and are planning to change their status to F-1 inside the United States. Please be aware that this application is to change your status: IT WILL NOT GIVE YOU AN F-1 VISA STAMP IN YOUR PASSPORT. The next time you travel outside the United States, you will be required to go to a U. S. Consulate or Embassy abroad to apply for an F-1 visa.

Please note that changing status within the US generally takes 3-6 months. Please allow ample time to complete this process.

*PLEASE NOTE: A change of status from B1/B2 to F-1 is generally not advisable within the U.S.  If you are changing from a B1/B2 to F-1, it is advisable to travel outside of the U.S. and apply for a F-1 visa.  Otherwise, please contact an immigration lawyer that can best help you with the situation.

The Quick Links to the right contain helpful information about changing from your specific status type to F-1 student status. If you are interested in changing to J status or if you do not see your status type listed, don't hesitate to contact us at isss@american.edu or 202-885-3350. We're more than happy to help.