flipperz_39

Hello experts:

I got my K1 visa a week ago :-)
I'll be moving to the US from Canada in about a month or so.
We plan to get married within the next few months after which i plan to apply for a change in status, EAD, SSN, etc.

Instead of working, i definitely want to consider going to school for further education. My real question is:"Is it possible for someone on a K1 to study rather than work? Also, is it possible for someone with K1 visa to apply for student loans to go to graduate school?"

Unfortunately i have searched around and havent been able to find any ifo on this; Is there a site where i can find more info on this?

thanks
flipperz

Noorah101

Congratulations!

You must get married within the first 90 days of your arrival. The best time to get your SSN is about 2 weeks after you arrive, and before you get married. You don't need the EAD in order to get the SSN.

I don't think there's a problem with going to school once you've filed for AOS. Your status will be "pending adjustment to permanent resident". The best thing to do would be to check with the schools you want to attend, and ask their policy on it. See if they will charge resident or non-resident tuition. See if you qualify for student loans. The individual schools would know best.

Best Wishes,
Rene

CaliforniaBride

You can go to school, no problem there. You should definitely check with the relevant schools to see what their residency requirements are and what you need to produce to prove residency.

You don't have to resident to attend school but you will have to pay international student fees if they don't qualify you as being resident.

In my case I qualified as a California resident (fror school purposes) one year and one day after I came here. I waited out the time because the fees for international students were around 8 or times 9 that of resident students. When I enrolled I discovered that they counted my residency not from my arrival but from the date of my marriage, which was 6 months before I moved here. Some schools also let you use your husbands status as resident.

So, do check when they class you as resident and what they use to determine that and if you can use husband's status. The international student office can usually answer your questions better than the regular admissions office.

Oh, and be aware that if you do enrol as a resident you don't get all the handholding that international students get. Can be quite daunting.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Attending school is perfectly consistent with the K-1 admission and is not a violation of status. In fact, the only reason it is a violation of "B" "visitor" status is that the very definition precludes study.

On the issue of loans, etc., that is a different matter and depends upon the specific programs.

Irene Ireny

YOu said you are from Canada,. so when did you file the petition and
when did they interview you??? I am from Canada also going to Georgia.
We just sent the package 2 days ago... I guess that will take a
looooong time

Thanks

flipperz_39

Hi Folinskyinla, CaliforniaBride and Noorah:

Thanks a lot for the useful information. I appreciate your responses!
I'll certainly inquire with the schools about the resident status before applying.

thanks
flipperz

flipperz_39

Hi Irene:

We filed the petition in May 2005 and i gave my interview on Nov 15, 2005. Please note that even though i am in Canada, I am not a Canadian citizen. Hence, i had to arrange for police certificates from outside of Canada. That delayed the process by a month atleast.

COnsidering you wont have to do that, i am very hopeful that you should expect to give your interview sometime within the next 3-4 months.

good luck!
flipperz