What are the requirements for a non-immigrant to become an F-1 student?
The person must be in the United States in a valid non-immigrant status. He or she cannot have entered under the visa waiver program. Trident Technical College must have accepted the individual and issued a Form I-20 for a change of status. The non-immigrant must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee to SEVP. Then he or she must file a Form I-539, along with the fee and supporting documents, with USCIS. USCIS will adjudicate the application. If denied, the non-immigrant must be prepared to exit the United States. If approved, USCIS will update the students SEVIS record to reflect the change of status, send an approval notice to the student, and issue an updated Form I-94. Can a nonimmigrant change status from a visitor/tourist (B-1/B-2) visa to an F-1 student visa? Yes, however, if the adjudicating officer finds grounds to believe that the person initially entered without disclosing his or her intent to become a prospective student, USCIS may deny the application for change of status. It may also be
