F-1 Visa Students

The F-1 visa is for citizens of foreign countries who want to come to the U.S. temporarily to go to school. An F-1 visa is a paper stamp placed in a person’s passport by a U.S. official from a U.S. Embassy outside of the U.S. The F-1 visa allows a person to apply at a U.S. port of entry for admission into the U.S. for the purpose of pursuing a program of study at a U.S. college or university.

An F-1 student is someone who has been granted an F-1 visa as permission from the U.S. federal government to enter and remain in the United States temporarily as a full-time student. F-1 students must follow special regulations to maintain their visa status.

The spouse or child(ren) of an F-1 visa holder may accompany the student to the U.S. under certain conditions. Each dependent must have their Form I-20 and must apply for an F-2 visa individually.

Additional financial support must be demonstrated for each dependent for each year of the student’s program. Specifically, documentation must show an additional $10,000 per year for a spouse and $5,000 per year for each child to issue an I-20 for the dependent.

If the dependents are not traveling with the F-1 student immediately, they may receive their I-20s later.

Please note that there are special rules and restrictions for F-2 visa holders, which will be explained in more detail during orientation or by the International Admissions Office.

Jefferson offers many programs of study, allowing you to earn an associate degree in various subjects. 

Please note that some of our programs have a selective admissions process, meaning you must also apply to that program specifically in order to begin their classes. Students cannot be directly admitted to these programs through our initial admission application process.

In some cases, a social security number is required for a background check to enter into the program. If a background check is required prior to the start of courses and cannot be completed at that time for any reason, students will be unenrolled from the program. Admission to a particular program is not guaranteed. The following programs include clinical placements and additional requirements that may limit accessibility for F-1 students: 

• Aviation Maintenance Technology
• EMS Paramedic  
• Fire Science Technology  
• Medical Assisting  
• Medical Laboratory Technician  
• Nursing (including Academic & Career Mobility)  
• Occupational Therapy Assistant  
• Physical Therapy Assistant  
• Radiography  
• Respiratory Care  
• Surgical Technology 

Students intending to enroll in Nursing and Allied Health programs should be aware that these programs require completion of prerequisite and co-requisite coursework. Students intending to enroll in Nursing and Allied Health programs should be aware that admission and successful completion of these programs require participation in clinical experiences at approved healthcare facilities. Clinical sites establish their own eligibility and onboarding requirements, which will include a background check, Social Security Number (SSN) verification, and other documentation. Clinical sites may be unable to accept F-1 students due to federal, contractual, or facility-specific requirements. Because clinical placement is required for program completion, the college cannot guarantee that an eligible clinical placement will be available for an F-1 student. 
  
Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to a selective Nursing or Allied Health program, placement at a clinical site, or eligibility for professional certification or licensure. Completion of a program also does not guarantee certification or licensure approval by the Kentucky Board of Nursing or other applicable licensing authority. 

F-1 students must comply with federal regulations under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G), which require a full course of study including a minimum of 9 credit hours of in-person instruction per semester. 
 
The following programs are currently offered primarily online (90–100%) and do not meet these federal requirements: 

• Business Administration  
• Computer Information Technology  
• Education  
• Human Services
• IECE  
• Criminal Justice  
• Culinary Arts
• Health Information Technology (HIT)
  • This program also requires clinical placement  

Enrollment in these programs may result in violation of F-1 status. Programs' availability and course delivery formats are subject to change. The college does not guarantee the availability of in-person courses required to maintain F-1 status.

All program selections are subject to review and approval by the International Office to ensure compliance with F-1 regulations. Please speak with our PDSO for more information regarding program eligibility for F-1 students.