The most important requirement for obtaining a F2 visa is that the individuals who are planning to visit USA (United States of America) should be a dependant of F1 visa holders. F1 dependants eligible for F2 visa are spouse and children.
In addition to this requirement, another very important thing to not about F2 visa is that F2 visa holders are not allowed to work in any form in USA. F2 visa is not a work permit and the person holding F2 visa can not indulge in any work in which that person gets paid.
F2 visa holders are not eligible to get SSN (social security number). Few years before, I think that F2 visa holders were eligible for getting SSN but were not eligible to work, as F2 visa can not be used as work permit. It seems that some F2 visa holders used their SSN to work illegally. So to prevent this to happen, now all dependants visas (like F2 or H4) where one is not eligible to work, are not granted SSN but just ITIN ((an identification number used in USA for tax purposes)) . These are just my thoughts and I have not verified any of this.
Anyway, F2 visa holders can get ITIN number. When F1 visa holder files tax return, he/she can show F2 visa holders as dependent using this ITIN number and can get dependant’s benefits such as higher standard deductions on taxes.
Therefore, a person applying for F2 visa should keep above points in mind. Now I will list the documents required at the time of visa interview for F2.
Mandatory documents:
1. Applicant’s passport.
2. DS-160 application confirmation letter with CEAC bar code.
3. Applicant’s visa photos as specified on here.
4. Original HDFC bank visa fee receipt with two bar code stickers.
5. Interview appointment letter.
6. Applicant’s I-20 (original) (your spouse must have got this from his/her university, and sent to you).
7. Photocopy of your spouse’s I-20 document.
Not mandatory, but must-have (highly important) documents:
1. Original marriage registration certificate.
2. Wedding photo album.
3. A few Invitation cards (original).
4. Your spouse’s US bank statements (to show that he/she can finance you).
5. Photocopy of your spouse’s passport.
6. Photocopy of your spouse’s US Visa.
7. Photocopy of your spouse’s I-94 card.
8. Photocopy of your spouse’s Federal Income Tax returns
9. Photocopy of your spouse’s State Income Tax returns
10. Photocopies of your spouse’s paystubs
If your spouse (F1) is working on OPT (optional practical training), then must-have (highly important) documents:
1. Photocopies of your spouse’s (F1′s) current and previous OPT cards (employment authorization cards).
2. Photocopies of your spouse’s (F1′s) paystubs (or salary slips) for almost 1 year (although paystubs of previous few months are also fine)
3. Original and photocopy of employment letter
Supporting documents:
1. Your spouse’s Indian bank statements.
2. Applicant’s mark-sheets and certificates starting from 10th standard.
3. Applicant’s birth certificate.
4. Applicant’s Itinerary details.
Important photocopies to keep with you:
1. Photocopy of applicant’s I-20 form.
2. Photocopies of applicant’s passport’s first page, address page, and last page.
In general, it is good to have at least 2 photocopies of each original document you are carrying with you. One set of photocopies you can carry with you, and another set of photocopies you can leave at home to have backup in case something is lost.
Documents not really needed but you may have:
1. Photocopy of your spouse’s social security card.
2. Photocopy of your spouse’s car title.
3. Photocopy of your spouse’s driving license.
Note: In the above, “Applicant” means person applying for F2 visa, and “your spouse” means applicant’s spouse.
Thanks for that awesome posting. It saved MUCH time
Hello Lucky
I am applying for F2 Visa and My qualification is only 10 std,will it be a problem.
I can understand English.
Thank you
As far as I know that qualification being only 10 standard should not be an issue. Its good that you can understand English. But these 2 are not main criteria for F2.
thanks Lucky
Dear Lucky
Can one apply F2 visa online?
I think you can fill application online and submit, but you need to appear for interview in person.
hi i m f2 i get driving license & id &work here how please send reply Thanks
Hello Anil,
I am not sure what do you mean by work, but you are not authorized to work on F2 visa.
hi i m f2 can i get dmv license id & india visit insurance in usa thanks
Hello Anil,
Yes you can get DMV license on F2 visa. I am not able to understand your 2nd question, sorry, perhaps if you can rephrase that would help me to answer.
Hello Lucky, Hw r u?
Iam soumya my F2 visa got rejected twise and Iam going apply H4B visa soon. I have one question, As it’s not an issue that it’s love marriage or arranged marriage then why every VO ask that question, is it love or arraged marriage?. I doubt they only grant VISA to arranged marriages…..
I am applying for my F1 visa and also planning to take my wife along. I have requested for an I-20 both for myself and my wife. I wanted to know if my wife’s passport should reflect my name?
Hello Rahul,
Sorry for my late reply. It is not necessary to have your name on your wife’s passport. Marriage certificate is more important for that.
Hello,
My f2 dependent visa rejected in this month. My interview was at mumbai consulate.
Vo asked just 3 questions From which university ur husband passed? where he worked? when he u got married? And he not saw any supporting documents. after that he directly rejected my visa.
What I do now .Can apply immediately for f2 visa or should i wait up to 1 month.
I can apply to other consulate other than mumbai.
Please help me. Give proper guidance.
Thanking you.
Hello,
if f2 dependent rejected then How many times you can apply for f2 dependent visa in one year. is previous rejection history effect on any other type of visa ( like h4 dependent ) .
Thanking you.
Hi,
I am residing in the US and am currently changing my status from H1 to F2.
I need to get the US license, but my F2 is still under processing.
Am I eligible to apply for license? If yes what documents are required?
Thank you.
Varuna
Hello Varuna,
The best thing is that you need to go to your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) office and discuss with them. Wonder when you were on H1, didn’t you have your Driver’s License(DL)? Depending upon if you had your DL before or not, there might be different situations. In general, now days one must have visa approval documents to get a DL.
If you did NOT have DL before, either you should use your H1 approval notice to get your DL if its possible, or if you do not/can not use your H1, you might have to wait for your f2 approval notice to get your DL.
In case you already had your DL, but are applying for DL extension, then it depends upon your local DMV office. I have heard mixed stories about it. Some DMV offices issued DL extensions for around 1 year based on the receipt of your visa application, but some DMV did not issue the DL extensions.
So it depends what is your current situation.
hello, am going to the US this december for my Masters degree sponsored by my father with an f1 visa, and i have a wife who is pregnant, when i get her i-20 and she is ready for an interview at the embassy, is it okay to use my fathers bank statement for her aswell? because i dont have any bank account in the US yet.
Hi lucky, My fiancee is working on OPT now and we will be getting married this summer. it was told to him that he ll get i-20 when he shows his marriage certificate to the university. Could you please let me know the Details like what that i-20 is for, how long does it take to get that i-20 and is that I-20 mandatory for me to get into US?
You ll be of big help if you provide me with this information on i-20.
thanks in advance
Hello,
Yes, a separate dependant’s I20 is required for you as you will be a dependant of your spouse. Again yes, a marriage certificate is required to obtain the dependant’s I2O from your spouse university. I20 is a very important document that decides your legal stay in US for F1/F2 visa categories. Ofcourse it is mandatory if you want to enter on F2 on F2 visas.
Lucky,
So that I-20 is actually for the person applying and not the spouse’s?
Thanks.
Hello,
It is not very clear to me what your question is. Anyway just to have little more clarity, I meant that person with F1 has his/her own I20 and person with F2 has a separate I20. Hope this helps.
Thanks a ton,
This really helps.
Thank you so much Lucky..
Hi Lucky,
I’m currently on STEM extension and it is valid for another 10 months till Oct’ 2013. I got married recently and planning to bring my wife on F-2.
Can you please look into my concerns below-
>I’m about to change my employer 2 weeks from now and when I file for f2 I-20, does it carry employer information in the 3rd page?
> Considering 10 months of OPT remaining and my passport expires as well in Oct’ 2013, Would the VO reject her f2 saying that my status expires very soon and she cannot come in as dependent?
and last question. If I file for H-1 in the month of Apr’ 2013. Can I still bring my wife on f2 considering that I would be on a transition status from f1 to h1?
Please let me know your suggestion.
Hello Pani,
I think that I20 carries employer information. But I do not think that having employer information would impact anything on visa approval. If you apply for H1 and gets approved, your H1 status will start from Oct 2013, so before that you will be on F1 status and can bring your wife on F2. I always give an advise that if you can bring your wife on H4 then that would be better than applying F2. However, your situation seems better than others because you have almost 10 months left on your opt, so you have a better chance of getting F2 visa approved. But if can wait for some more time, then H4 is best and safest bet.
Hi Lucky and All,
Does anybody here whos F2 visa got approved. I want to read some +ve replies. Does anybody know any forum or links where i can find some information and experience of OPT f2 visa getting approved.
Thanks,
Hello AG,
You can read previous comments and I am sure that you will find some people who got F2 approved while their spouses were on OPT. You just need to search and go through previous comments.
Hello Lucky,
I have written to you about a year back just before my T2-visa was rejected (Feb-12). My husband recently completed his Masters and is currently on OPT which is valid until (Dec 2013). Since my F2-visa was rejected last year, I wanted to apply for a visitors visa to attend the Grad Walk of my husband which is scheduled in May this year. I have two kids aged 3 and 5 who will be applying with me to attend the graduation event. What chances do you think I have in getting a visitor’s visa to attend graduation walk considering that I will be applying with the kids? My husband who is currently working in US will be sponsoring my trip. Considering my situation (f2 rejection last year with kids and husband freshly on OPT) what do you think would be my best option. Eagerly waiting for your reply.
Thanks,
Shereen Fatima
Hello Shereen,
Given your situation, I am really surprised that your F2 visa was rejected last year. Given your current situation and if you carry return tickets with you and shows strong ties with home country and also B2 visa is for your husband’s grad walk (you can provide proof), I think that it would seem that you would be able to get it, but generally F2 or B2 always carry a tad more uncertainty. Is there any reason you want to visit USA for temporary stay but not for some longer more permanent stay like on F2 o4 H4 visa? Is your spouse planning to apply for H1B? If yes then my suggestion to you is to wait for H1 approval and then apply for H4 visa which is generally easier to obtain than F2 and B2 (at least based on previous experiences and moreover it carries dual intent). I know that H4 will delay your visit to USA until October this year, but it will give you a more permanent option.
hi lucky,
i am persuing my masters in australia. which is going to finish in this june. and my wife planning to do masters in u.s.. can i apply for an f2 visa from sydney consulate after completion of my masters being an Indian( i,m here on student visa)
Hello Shashank,
I think you should be able to apply visa US consulate in Sydney.
Hi
iam student in new york and my visa ended 2 years ago , i stay with valid i20 from certificate school…and my problem is i married last summer with a lithuanian girl, and she tried to come with f1 visa, but denied, now we will apply for f2. If you can analyse the condition, would you give us some advice, what shoudl she say at interview or if they ask her about my visa (which is ended) what should she say?
we need help please help us urgent.
Thanks.
Hello Richard,
Expired visa is not an issue and a valid visa is required during entry only, and it does not decide the legal length of your stay in US. I20 decides your legal length of stay in US so as far as you have a valid I2O there should not be an issue for your girl friend. I do not think that they would ask about expired visa as it is very common for people in USA to have an expired visa.
Hi i am applying for f2 dependent visa this month,now my husband is on OPT till feb2014 and he is working since 1year and he has all his paystubs this is my first time applying for f2 visa interview,and we recently got married can you tell me what are the chances for me to get visa..also please help me out with what kind of questions i need to prepare and what will be the bankbalance my husband should show in his A/C.
pls help me out with your suggestions.
Hello Sushma,
Given your situation and the fact that your spouse has ample time left on his opt, it seems to me that you have very good chance of getting F2 approval. For questions, you can see the link here http://binaryjunction.com/2010/07/08/f2-visa-interview-questions-for-united-states-of-america/ . Your husband should show the amount stated on the dependant’s I2O atleast for a year.
hi lucky,
I am applying for f2 dependent visa ,now my husband is PHD first year student .My husband is sponsoring me and our baby in 7000 us dollar and he got I20.
1.The university already given I20 with sufficient fund but can VO reject my visa due to insufficient fund ?
2what are document needed in addition to I20?
3.what kind of quotation ask me ?
Hi lucky,
M getting married in this may and my husband has to apply for OPT extension in June. Do u suggest me going for visa interview in june before he applying for extension or wait till he gets his OPT extended?? If i attend visa interview(F2) in june are there any chances to get it rejected for there is only 2 months left for his OPT?? Please suggest me so that i ll plan accordingly..
Thanks in advance
Hi lucky,
M getting married in this may and my husband has to apply for OPT extension in June. Do u suggest me going for visa interview in june before he applying for extension or wait till he gets his OPT extended?? If i attend visa interview(F2) in june are there any chances to get it rejected for there is only 2 months left for his OPT?? Please suggest me so that i ll plan accordingly..
Thanks in advance!!!!
Hello,
It is always good to have more time left in your husband’s OPT as it makes your USA trip more justified. So I would suggest that please wait (if possible) for his OPT extension, or if you can not wait, then please carry sufficient documents to convince VO that your husband is going to apply for OPT extension so has enough time left.
Thanks.. but i ve one more Question. If my visa gets rejected 1st time before OPT extension, how long should i wait to take another interview? is there any minimum time span? And 2nd time do i get visa easily as the OPT gets extended by then?
Lucky if you could clarify this one last doubt for us to the best of your knowledge, we would be grateful,
If my visa gets rejected 1st time before OPT extension, how long should i wait to take another interview? is there any minimum time span? And 2nd time do i get visa easily as the OPT gets extended by then?
hi lucky
under Not mandatory, but must-have (highly important) documents:
no 3. A few Invitation cards (original). w/ch card is that ?
what does it mean i can not understand it.
hello luchy
i am praveen from india my wife going to usa in f1 visa how cani apply for f2 visa pls help me what that proses and what dockument needed pls help me
Hello Praveen,
To apply for F2 Visa. You’r wife should send the following documents to you.
Dependent I20 issued by your spouse school (Mandatory)
Your spouse’s I 20. (Mandatory)
Your spouse visa copy (Mandatory)
Bank statements if she is sponsoring for your expenses. (Mandatory)
You need to carry the copy of visa appointment letter. (Mandatory)
Your Original Marriage Certicate. (Mandatory)
Marriage photo album and wedding card (Mandatory)
Your Visa fee receipt. (Mandatory)
Optional docs.
Your educational certificates
your spouse educational certificates
Her US driving license (if she has)
Praveen F2 visa is a tricky one and you need to show strong ties with your home country to get visa approved. If you have any documents like property, bank accounts in india or a letter from your employer you can carry those too.
My suggestion for you is to read the posts written by aplicant’s in this forum. That will help you in preparing for the visa.
Please do share your interview process with others. All the best and Good luck !
Regards,
Raj
Hi Lucky,
I am leaving for MS to US…My husband had completed his studies only upto 10th standard and he in business field ri8 now.I need to apply for F2 for my husband..How much money should I need to show inorder to get F2 visa for my husband?Will he will face any problem regarding his education background at the time of Visa interview?plzzz reply me
Hi,,,lucky
Iam very nervous,,,,I want 2 know some answers from u,,,,my husband vil start his MBA course from may 2013 and he got his f1,,,,v have 2 kids n now its holidays for kids v apply for f2,,,,only
in school holidays iam going 2 u s,,,,I have my power of attorney papers and funds in my husband account,,,,,question is what are the chances of approval of f2 plz do the need full, ,,
Hello Rohini,
If you want to sponsor your husband you need to show atleast the figures reflecting on your I20. My suggestion would be let your husband sponsor himself for his VISA by showing sufficient amount in his bank account. He can show his business as a proof for returning back to india.
I don’t think his education will create any kind of trouble at the time of visa.
These are just my suggestions it is up to you to decide what is right for your case.
Regards,
Raj
hiii LUCKY?& SWAPY
i need information about F1 visa interview… my husband is in us … we married on june 14 ,2012. now im trying for F1. and i have completed my studies in 2010.now i have gap of 3 yrs .what type of questions they may ask how should i answer
i have visa interview soon will please reply me soon. my husband is on me F1.because of h1 problem he is doing double masters now . now iam going for f1 interview will they ask me details about my husband…..? reply soon the chances of getting F1 visa for me
Hi Lucky,
I have my F2 VISA interview next week. My husband is there in US on F1 VISA from Sep 2011. We got married in July 2011.
As I was working here and he was doing his studies there, we have waited for right time and I have not left with him.
Now when I am applying for F2, will they object that from approx last two years you are staying apart and why now you want to leave your job and move there?
About showing finances, If I show my savings then is it fine or all finances should be from my husband’s account?
Hi Lucky,
Thank you for such an awesome blog. I am applying for a F-1 visa but would like to bring my son along with me during my studies. What are the requirements for kids. Will they require a paternity test
Hi everyone,
I recently got admission in a T50 University in the US for pursuing my PhD. I am very soon applying for my F1 visa. I also wish to take my husband along with me on F2 visa. Given the rejection rates for F2 visas, I have few questions in mind:
1 – My PhD is a fully funded course with stipend (>$2000) per month. If I wish to take my husband with me, we need some 200$ extra (per year) to support each other.
To cover up for 200$ extra, we have made a CA statement which shows that we have around $1200 extra per year. I read in a forum that consulates at times don’t consider your stipend and expect you to show bank balance to support your studies. Can you please clarify this confusion of mine?
2 – I & my husband both have a B1/B2 visas. He has travelled to the US for official purpose for 3-4 times for an interval of a month to 6 weeks in last two years. I have traveled once for attending a conference. Do his multiple travels on B1/B2 make him a potential immigrant?
3 – We both plan to apply as group visa and want to go to consulate together for our interview. I hope it is possible.
4 – What is the rejection rate for F1 PhD students? Similarly, what is for F2?
Replies will be much appreciated.
Regards,
Guneet
Hi,
my husband got the F1 visa is on 7th june 2013, and im planing to apply for the F2 visa after one month from now, by the time i apply my husband will be in india only, since his course will be stating in aug mid. so will it be a problem if i apply in july or in Aug. what is the best possible chances to get visa approval, or should i wait for my husband to go first in USA then apply..
Hi,
my husband got the F1 visa is on 7th june 2013, and im planing to apply for the F2 visa after one month from now, by the time i apply my husband will be in india only, since his course will be stating in aug mid. so will it be a problem if i apply in july or in Aug. what is the best possible chances to get visa approval, or should i wait for my husband to go first in USA then apply..
Thanks.
Dear
Lucky, My paln in apply to F1 visa and I would like to take my wife with me. That’s call F2. So my question is
Do i need separate I 20 for her?
How to apply F2 to University?
Do I have to pay SEVIS fees separately?
Do I need DS160 form?
Do I pay Embassy fees $160 separately?
please let me know.
Hi Lucky
I have gone through your blog and could see your suggestions to the audience. I would also like to get few suggestions reg. my F2 to F1 conversion.
Currently I am on F2 visa in USA. I am planning for masters and therefore I have decided to convert my visa to F1.
If my visa is approved, I can go to school and continue my study. In case in an emergency situation if i go to homecountry, I will have to go for F1 stamping right. so, here comes the risk.
1. If they reject F1 stamping, how will I re enter to US and continue my study?
2. Or Can I go to home country and apply for fresh F1 as I have good amount of time (My college is going to start in Sep mid)
3. What are the risks/chances of rejection involved in both of them
Thanks in advance.
Awaiting to hear from you.
Regards
Honey.
Hi,
I am in India and my fiance is in USA under OPT status…he started working from feb 2013….We are planning to get married this year…..will I get F2 visa,I mean do u recommend to marry now or to wait untill he apply for H1b next year..plz suggest..
Hi Harshitha
I would like to know whether your fiance has applied for H1b this year. If he has to apply for next year, that means if his H1b is approved, he will be on H1 status from oct. 2014.. so, just check with his OPT expiration date..If its more than 6 mnths, I think its gud enof to marry this year and you can try for F1.
this is my understanding but pls check if you have any options also.
Thanks
Honey