L2 dependant Visa and college
 

Hi All,
My family relocated to Rochester, NY with my husbands job in Dec 2015.
I'm on an L2 spouse visa (still awaiting my EAD approval 106th day :( ) My 16yr old daughter is on an L2 dependants visa and so is unable to work.

My query is.... We are currently looking at college places for her for the fall of 2017. I gather from various college blurb that she may be required to either take a job on campus to pay towards her tuition or an internship.
As she is unable to take paid employment, would this affect her ability to go to college? Do the rules regarding the visa apply if it's a college requirement that she works? (I assume the Visa restriction trumps everything)

Where do I begin when seeking the correct info regarding this?

Thanks

Maggie

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

I'm sure that someone more experienced with these matters than me will come by and give you a more detailed answer.

The topic has come up in the past on these boards. The answer seems to be quite a complicated one, particular as you don't yet have green cards.

L2 visa - college/university (British Expats)

Dependent Children, Visa Status and Schools (Immigration Road)

EDIT: It looks like you can study an an L2, yes. However, once your child turns 21, s/he will need to qualify for her/his own visa on her/his own merits.

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/l...gr-570326.html

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

It won't affect her ability for college....that's probably a requirement for the funding packages, which she probably won't be eligible for anyway.

If you pay up front, the college won't care anyway.

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

As already mentioned, your daughter can apply to colleges however she probably won't be eligible for any help with funding since it is mostly available to US citizens and permanent residents (green card).

L2 - no EAD so no jobs.
Your daughter's visa will age out when she leaves college or when she is 21 if she is not in college. Which begs the question of whether she ought to be going to college in the US since she won't be able to work afterwards in the US unless a green card is approved in the meantime.

You should be able to argue domicile in the UK for university fees since you are not a permanent resident here. Also EU universities offer loads of courses in English and it's much, much cheaper than in the US or the UK. My son doesn't wish to study here in the US so even though he has a green card he is off to either Holland or Sweden to study.

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

I never heard of a college requiring the student to work or intern in order to be accepted into the college!

Rene

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

Thanks. This was really helpful ;)

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

Sorry I didn't explain that well :(. The requirement to work was to help fund the accommodation and living expenses. It wasn't a criteria for being accepted.

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

How can they "require" a student to work? ..... for any purpose, other than, perhaps, mandatory work experience.

As long as the fees and living expenses get paid, why would the college care where the money comes from? :confused:

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

Federal financial aid, often has a stipulation for work on campus...the OP wouldn't be eligible for that funding though.

Re: L2 dependant Visa and college
 

It is not unheard of for dependent children to switch to their own F-1 student visas to attend college. There are pros and cons (have a sniff around BE for threads on the topic), but the fact that campus-based work would open up on an F-1 is certainly a factor.

I'm not sure if/how much the visa impacts fees - I suspect it's ridiculous either way :unsure: