Studying in the U.S.
The domestic education system has changed, and more and more people are asking how to accompany their children to study in the United States. Everyone’s family background and conditions can mean they have different needs from visas. Let us help you apply for a visa to accompany your child as they study in the US while still traveling freely between Taiwan and the United States. If you want to send your child to study in the United States, your situation will be roughly classified into one of several categories:
Category 1: I want to send my child to study in the United States, but there are no family members who can accompany them. Where are some good, trustworthy, and approved boarding schools?
Category 2: My child was born in the US, but their parents don’t have legal residency. How can we stay in the US to look after our children?
Category 3: How can we legally stay in the United States to study if neither the child nor the parents have legal residency?
Introduction to the Program for Accompanying Students in the US
As the financial conditions of parents in Taiwan improve, more and more are thinking about how to give their children more diverse educational choices. Therefore, in recent years, the number of students studying in the United States has been on the rise, while their ages have been getting younger and younger. Usually, at such a young age, they will need their parents to accompany them, and the stay could take several years, so more and more parents are asking how they can legally accompany their children as they study so that they don’t have to worry about hassles going through customs when they return to Taiwan visit relatives and then head back to the United States.
The parents, of course, need a visa. For long-term plans, we recommend that parents choose an F1 student visa, which will enable them to not only stay legally in the US with their children for a long period of time, but also give them the opportunity to pursue their own self-improvement. When their children graduate, they could also have completed a degree themselves and may even have the opportunity to find a job in the United States, enhance their future career development, and perhaps even prepare to bring the whole family over.
Many parents are very happy to hear about this option, but some are still worried about studying in the United States because they themselves may not have been abroad for a long time, or their English may not be particularly good. Furthermore, it can be stressful to dive back into study, and the main purpose of the parents’ studying abroad is to better take care of their children. What if they choose a school that is too difficult, they can’t get the required grades, or their application isn’t accepted? On top of that, each parent has their own different economic conditions, language ability, work background, and so on. We strive to provide the most appropriate customized solutions based on the unique situation of each parent.
We also have a variety of educational resources in the United States and can provide language learning programs, MBA direct admission, community colleges, license applications, and college or graduate direct/dual admissions. Whatever your particular needs are as a parent who wants to stay in the US, we can help you find the option that will maximize the time you can stay. For parents with weaker English, we can also start with language learning and even provide dual admissions—that is, language school admission notice and degree program admission at the same time—legally maximizing the time the parents can stay with their children as they study.
Visa Program Options
We recommend that you have some idea about how many years of study in the US will be necessary to start with so that we can plan courses and the length of time that best suits your needs. As simply applying for a language school for a visa is more likely to be rejected, we also suggest that it be paired with relevant degree courses as follow-up.
Language School + Community College
This program is aimed at parents with zero or near-zero English and a limited budget. To accompany their children to study in the United States, they can take language courses first and then go on to more advanced community college courses.
Language School + University Aadmission
This program is aimed at parents with little foundation in English. They can apply for admission notices from language schools and four-year colleges at the same time. After graduation, they can apply for OPT and have the opportunity to work in the United States. First, they go to a language school for a period of time to lay a solid foundation, and after meeting the admission requirements, they then go to a four-year college
Direct Admission
This program is aimed at parents with good English who can directly apply for undergraduate or master’s programs. After they arrive in the United States, the parents can directly study toward an undergraduate or Master’s program in a four-year university and then work toward the opportunity to use OPT to stay in the United States in the future.
Visa Options
Parent Tourist Visa+Child F1 Student Visa
Parents of students apply for tourist visas and enter the country as tourists to accompany their children.
Advantages:
- Parent tourist visas are valid for a long time, generally up to 5-10 years
- Entry and exit are more flexible, and there is no need to maintain attendance in classes
Disadvantages:
- If the entry time exceeds three months each time, you may have to leave the country first due to the expiration of the visa, and the visa may be canceled if you enter the country frequently.
- Travel expenses are required for each entry and exit, and the children are still in school, so someone has to be hired to look after them.
Parent F1 Student Visa+Child F2 Dependents Visa
Parents apply for F1 student visas, and their children apply for F2 dependents visas. F2 visa holders have the same rights as local American children, and they can study for free in top public schools in the United States. This way, the child saves on tuition fees, and the uncertainty of the parent’s travel to and from the two places is minimized.
Advantages:
- Parents who hold long-term F1 student visas can stay and study as long as they want while looking after their children.
- Parents who have obtained degrees will have the opportunity to stay in the United States through OPT in the future.
- Children with F2 visas can attend public schools in the United States completely tuition-free.
Disadvantages:
- There is an attendance requirement of 80% for parents, and parents need to pay tuition.
- Parents are responsible for maintaining a certain level of academic performance and attendance.
Parent and Child Obtain F1 Visas Separately
If the child is already studying in the United States and their parents want to solve the problem of accompanying them long-term, they can choose to apply for an F1 student visa themselves to solve the problem of long-term US entry and exit.
Advantages:
- Parents who hold long-term F1 student visas can stay and study as long as they want while looking after their children.
- Parents who obtain a degree will have the opportunity to stay in the United States through OPT in the future.
- With an F1 visa, the children can apply for high-quality local private schools and become more competitive.
Disadvantages:
- The total tuition fee for parents and children is relatively high.
- Parent and child attendance and grades are subject to visa requirements.
| F1 Student Visa Entry | B1/B2 Tourist Visa Entry Followed by Change in Status | |
| Before Entering: | Apply for the school in advance, and have the children apply for a student visa with their parents at home to successfully achieve the purpose of accompanying them. | For tourism purposes, come to the United States for inspection and travel in advance to see whether you like the American environment. |
| After Entering: | After clearing customs with an F1/F2 visa, you can enter a local public school immediately. | Stay in the United States on a B1/B2 tourist visa and submit an application for status conversion within three months of entry. During the status conversion period, children cannot attend local schools. |
| Status Conversion: | Status conversion is not required. | You can directly submit an application for status conversion to the USCIS within the country without going abroad to apply for a student visa. After the USCIS approves, you can adjust your status to student from within the country. |
| Cost: | Normal payment of tuition and living expenses. | Additional living expenses while waiting for a successful status change; children cannot attend local schools during this time. |
| Departure: | During the validity period of the student visa (usually five years), parents and children can freely and legally enter and leave the United States at any time. If course performance is good during the period, the chance of successfully renewing the student visa is high. | After the status conversion is successful, after parents bring their children back to China, they cannot return to the United States as students again. They need to re-apply for a student visa at the US embassy in China to enter the United States as a student, which is riskier. |
| Length of Stay in the US: | Students only need to maintain their studies at the school normally, and there is no limit on the length of stay. | Generally, it takes four to five months for the approval of USCIS. During the waiting period, you need to apply for an extension of the validity period of the tourist visa. |
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