The F2 Visa is a nonimmigrant visa available to immediate relatives of F1 students. Only minor children (below 21 years of age) and the spouse of an F1 holder are qualified for this visa.

Their eligibility to obtain the visa and stay in the US is tied directly to the primary F1 visa holder. This means they cannot enter the US before the primary F1 holder and cannot stay beyond the period granted to the primary F1 visa holder.

As an international student, you may process your F1 visa and the F2 visa for your relatives at the same time. With this, they can accompany you to the US when you are resuming your academic program. Alternatively, the F2 dependent(s) may process their application separately and join you later.

The F2 dependent nonimmigrant status only grants your relatives the right to live in the US. They are not allowed to engage in paid employment. They may, however, study part-time postsecondary level, as long as the study does not amount to what guidelines define as full time for an F1 student (see 8 CFR 214.2(f) (6)). They may also engage in non-vocational and recreative courses.

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