Many people come to the United States to study here. But many other people also come here to work, to visit relatives and to travel, to conduct business, and for many other reasons. For each reason there is a different type of visa. Someone who comes to the U.S. on vacation is considered a tourist and will have a B-2 visa. Someone who comes to the U.S. to conduct business, for example to have meetings with business partners here, would have a B-1 visa. Someone who has been sponsored for a company to work here in the U.S. for several years usually has an H-1b visa. There are many different kinds of visas, and each visa has special rules.
Below is a list of the most common visas one might encounter with Black Hawk College students and some of their most important rules.
| B-1/B-2 | Visitor for business/tourism | Usually for 6 months; Cannot work; Can go to school part-time |
| F-1 | Academic student | Must go to school full-time; must pay out-of-state tuition; Can work 20 hrs/week on-campus; only approved at BHC |
| F-2 | Dependent (spouse or child under 21) of F-1 | Cannot work; Can go to school; only approved at BHC |
| H-1b | Worker in special occupation | Must work as agreed with the sponsor; Can go to school |
| H-4 | Dependent of H-1 or 2 | Cannot work; Can go to school |
| J-1 | Exchange student or scholar | Can work – depending on contract with sponsor; Can/must go to school – depending on contract with sponsor |
| J-2 | Dependent of J-1 | Cannot work; Can go to school |
| M-1 | Vocational student | Must be a full-time student; Cannot work on or off campus |
| M-2 | Dependent of M-1 | Cannot work; Can go to school |
As this list shows, people in many different categories can go to school. Students in F, J, or M status have to go to school full-time. They also must pay out-of-state tuition. That means they have to enroll for at least 12 credits every semester, and they must pay $263 per credit (the out-of-state tuition in 2002-2003).
If you are in a status other than a student status and wonder whether you should apply for a change of status, or if you are contemplating coming to the U.S. to study and wonder which status is appropriate for you, please contact the Coordinator of the International Student & Scholar Program via e-mail zertuchej@bhc.edu with your questions.
Visa Categories for Students
International students must first obtain certain documents from their college or university and then, with those documents, obtain a visa to enter the United States. Which kind of visa is appropriate depends on a student’s program of study and funding sources. The student visa category to attend Black Hawk College is F-1.
The documents you must obtain from Black Hawk College differ depending on your intended visa category. Students who wish to be in F-1 status must obtain the form I-20 A-B.
Please take a moment to study the description of each visa category. It will help you determine which visa category might be the right one for you and what paperwork will be involved in your application. There are many similarities between the different categories; when you contact the Coordinator of the International Student & Scholar Program, she will help you determine which visa category is right for you and what you must do to obtain your visa.
You should also read the section on employment for F-1 visa category. Most students are restricted in regard to employment and can only work for pay under very specific and limited circumstances. It is therefore important that you communicate your plans very clearly to the Coordinator. If you do not make your intentions clear and come to Black Hawk College in a visa category that is not appropriate to your plans, you will have to obey the rules for that visa category nevertheless and may miss important opportunities or even get in trouble.
