B2 - F1?? for three young kids. Can this be done?
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Answer:
United States law requires you to reimburse the school system the full cost of providing an education to F1 visa students enrolled in public schools. This is true even if the school system says you don't need to pay (sanctuary cities). The fee for the three of them would surely top $30,000 per year.
You cannot adjust status from a B2 to an F1. Your sisters are going to have to exit the country, apply for and obtain an F1 visa and then return and that's if you can establish guardianship, and substantial support.
One other consideration, you mentioned that you are a senior. Who would take care of them at the conclusion of your education. Once you've completed your study then you cannot remain in the United States and must return home.
They can change their status to F1 while in the US but because they do not have a visa they will not be able come back into the country as F1. If they want to travel in and out of the country they have to apply for a F1 visa in their home country. If they don't plan to leave the country until their studies are over it should not be a problem and you won't have to apply for a visa. Just make sure that their B2 status does not expire before you send out the application to change their status. Also, a F1 student can not go to public schools. They have to attend a school that issues I-20's. There are elementary, middle schools and high schools that issues I-20's.
In addition to the other warnings you have already seen here, you need to know that Congress passed a law in 1996 that placed restrictions on foreign students in U.S. public elementary (kindergarten through eighth grades) and secondary (grades nine through twelve) schools. The restrictions -
prohibit foreign students from attending public elementary schools or publicly-funded adult education programs
limit secondary school attendance to twelve months
require secondary school students to pay the school the full, unsubsidized per capita cost (cost for each student) of education
So no, your sisters cannot legally attend school in the US except under those very stringent conditions.
The Immigration information post by website user , MyTend.com not guarantee correctness.
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