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Consular visa interviews are short (no more than five minutes) and will be conducted in English. Make sure you have all of your documents organized and ready to show to the Consular Officer. Check with the consulate or embassy issuing your visa to confirm what documents are needed for the interview. The following is only a suggested list of frequently requested documents:

• Unexpired passport or passport not expiring within the next six months
• DS-160 visa application confirmation page
• Application fee payment receipt (if required)
• I-20, printed and signed
• SEVIS/I-901 payment receipt
• Transcripts/diplomas from schools attended previously
• Test scores (if any) like SAT, ACT or TOEFL
• Financial documents showing proof of funding, including scholarship awards (if applicable)
• Admission letter from Embry‑Riddle
• Documents showing strong ties to your home country and your intent to leave the U.S. upon completion of the program (possible examples include job offers, family obligations, property, investments, inheritances, etc.)

Every student’s situation is different, and each encounter with a consular officer will be different. Consular officers are under pressure to interview as many visa applicants as possible. Review the links below to get helpful information that will prepare you for your visa interview.

International students may bring dependents with them to the United States on a F-2 visa. Rules will apply to the F-2 visa holder(s), which must be strictly followed. Below are some frequently asked questions related to dependents.

Who can I bring as a dependent with me to the U.S.?

Dependents are defined as a spouse or an unmarried child under the age of 21. You may bring multiple dependents that qualify under those criteria.

Your dependents' eligibility to remain in the United States legally is contingent upon the primary visa holder (F-1) maintaining their legal status and extending their program in a timely manner.

What documents are required to request an F-2 dependent?

The F-1 student must request the F-2 dependent I-20 for each of their dependents. The F-1 student will need to submit the following:

• Proof of funds for each dependent (currently $4,000 USD)
• Valid passports for each dependent
• Marriage certificate officially translated to English for spouses
• Birth certificate officially translated to English for children

F-1 students can request the F-2 dependent I-20 .

The F-1 student will receive the F-2 I-20s via their Embry‑Riddle email.

How do F-2 dependents maintain active status?

Dependents will maintain legal immigration status as long as the F-1 student maintains their status. Learn more about what F-1 students must do to .

How long can dependents remain in the U.S.?

F-2 dependents may remain in the U.S. as long as the F-1 student remains in active status. Once the F-1 student has completed their degree program and has left the U.S., the F-2 dependents must leave as well.

At the end of the F-1 program, there is a 60-day grace period during which the F-1/F-2 may stay in the U.S. Once the primary F-1 leaves the U.S., the F-2 dependents must leave as well.

Dependent children only qualify as F-2 dependents until the age of 21. Once children turn 21, their F-2 status will expire, and they will need to change to another status if they wish to remain in the U.S. For example, a child could try to change to F-1 status and become a full-time student.

Can F-2 dependents work?

No. Dependents with an F-2 dependent I-20/F-2 visa cannot work in the United States and are not eligible to request Social Security Numbers.

F-2 dependents may engage in volunteer work as long as there is no compensation of any kind, and the F-2 dependent is doing a job usually done by volunteers.

Can F-2 dependents study while in the U.S.?

Spouses on F-2 status may only engage in part-time study at the postsecondary level in any certified program at an SEVP-certified school, as long as the study does not amount to what regulations define as full-time for an F-1 student. Spouses who wish to study full-time may apply for a change to F-1 status. They may only begin full-time study once USCIS has approved the change of status.

Spouses and children may study full-time in vocational or recreational studies, such as hobbies.

Minor children (under age 18) on F-2 status must comply with compulsory education requirements and attend school full-time in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Children on F-2 status who have completed high school and are under 21 years of age may only engage in part-time study. Like spouses, if these children wish to study full-time at a college or university, they must apply for a change to F-1 status.

Working on Campus

Students studying on an F-1 visa may be eligible to work on campus. You can search for and apply for on-campus jobs through the Student Employment Office.

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Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT is an authorization to get off-campus training within the United States while studying on an F-1 visa. CPT must be an essential part of a student’s learning experience and must allow the student to apply knowledge and utilize skills they have gained in their academic program. CPT is usually taken as an internship or co-op.

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Optional Practical Training (OPT)

OPT is a period during which undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 status who have completed their degrees are permitted to work, volunteer or take non-degree courses.

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STEM OPT Extension

The STEM OPT extension is a 24-month period of temporary training that directly relates to an F-1 student's program of study in an approved STEM field. Eligible F-1 students with STEM degrees who finish their program of study and participate in an initial period of regular post-completion OPT (often for 12 months) have the option to apply for a STEM OPT extension. Students may not apply for STEM OPT extensions during the 60-day grace period following an initial period of regular post-completion OPT.

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If you must take a break from academics to return home and complete military service, there are a few steps you need to take before you leave the university and before you return.

Before you return to Embry‑Riddle:

Contact an international student advisor as soon as you know when you will be able to resume your Embry‑Riddle studies. It may take several weeks to gather all of your required travel documents, so do not wait until the last minute.

• Daytona Beach & Prescott students — contact dbiss@erau.edu
• Worldwide students — contact wwintstc@erau.edu

International students who receive scholarships and grants in excess of the amount of tuition and required fees for enrollment (qualified education expenses) may be required to have federal income taxes withheld at a rate of 14% under U.S. tax law.

The university will withhold the required federal income tax, if any, and will provide the international student with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1042-S per tax year.

Guidelines

Embry‑Riddle’s international students (for example: F visa status) may be subject to federal income guidelines on scholarship funds. Scholarships and grants in excess of qualified education expenses may be subject to tax withholding, per these guidelines, at a rate of 14%. Qualified education expenses include tuition and required fees for enrollment.

The university will withhold federal income taxes at 14% if the following applies:

• Scholarships and grants exceed the cost of tuition and required fees for enrollment charged to your student account.
• The tax treaty between the U.S. and your country does not provide an exemption from, or a reduced rate of, withholding. .

If taxes were withheld on your behalf, you will receive Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1042-S, Foreign Person's U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding, per tax year. Students who receive Form 1042-S should expect to complete a U.S. tax return for that year. The following documents are required for the tax return:

• Foreign National Information Form
• Passport
• U.S. Visa
• Form I-20
• All I-94s since becoming an F-1 or J-1 student
• W-2
• Tax Form 1042-S

Foreign Student and Scholars information can be found on the .

For additional information, please contact International Student Engagement at international.experience@erau.edu.