International Students And Their Dependents — F-2 Visas And Work And Study Authorization

On April 30, 2022, Freeman Law posted my blog that provided a brief overview of international students in the U.S. pursuant to an F-1 visa and the limited circumstances under which those visa-holders may work in the U.S. See International Students, F-1 Visas, Graduation an . . . Work in the U.S.? Since that blog hit the Freeman Law webpage, I was accosted with questions about dependents of the F-1 student visa holder. This blog serves to supplement that previous blog, with a focus on the F-2 visa holder.

Dependents of an F-1 visa holder are within the scope of the definition of "immigrant" contained in 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(F), which defines "immigrant" to include "the alien spouse and minor children of any alien" having a residence in a foreign country which he or she has no intention of abandoning, who is a bona fide student qualified to pursue a full course of study at an established academic institution (i.e., the F-1 student), if such spouse or minor children