International folk will need to have an H1-B visa to work and study on a visa. This visa allows immigrants to work part-time or full-time without any restrictions. However, suppose an H1-B visa holder brings dependants to the United States of America, such as their children or spouses. In that case, these dependants will arrive in the United States of America on an H4 visa. This article dives deep into how you can apply for an H4 visa and if you, as an H4 visa holder, will be able to study in the United States of America with scholarships or not. Lets’s start with Are H4 Students Eligible For Scholarships.
H4 visa holders are not naturalized citizens born in the United States of America and so they will not be eligible for a large chunk of the federal financial aid as well. But, H4 visa holders can ask the admissions office about the merit-based scholarships as well.
Deciding Which School To Go To On An H4 Visa
In case the H1-B visa holder on who you are dependent has not filed for a green card for you yet, it will be impossible for you to work. However, H4 visa holders can go to school, making it a very smart choice since graduating from a school in the United States of America will boost your chances of getting a good job.
In case you do want to go to school in the United States of America as an H4 visa holder, you will need to take a TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, or GMAT test. Choosing to go to a school or university in the United States of America will also be dependent on your previous work experience, type of industry, and availability of funding for the college.
When children are born in the United States of America, they are naturalized citizens. When the naturalized citizens of the United States of America try to apply for financial aid, they will need to file out a FAFSA, which is a federal scholarship grant. The FAFSA calculates how much money a student born in the United States of America can get based on the income of their family. H4 visa holders cannot apply for the FAFSA. When applying for scholarships, H4 visa holders will be treated as international students as well.
Education Loan On An H4 Visa
It is not easy to get an educational loan based in the United States of America as an international student. Banks do not give out an educational loan on a visa. At the same time, the banks in the home country of an H4 visa holder also have a very lengthy and challenging process that proves to be tedious to get an educational loan.
To get a loan from a bank in the United States of America, they will require a cosigner who has citizenship from the United States of America. But the catch here is that most international students or H4 visa holders do not have someone to ask to be their cosigner, since the loan will remain on the cosigner’s profile until it has been paid off.
Study Options For H4 Visa Holders
There are no particular courses that are off-limit for an international student. What this means is that international students can apply for the same courses across various universities that the naturalized citizens of the United States of America are applying to. However, it needs to be noted that not all colleges accept international students.
At the same time, each college and university will have its specific set of rules and regulations for them to admit and accept an international student. The crux of this part is that H4 visa holders can apply for any course they want to study that is interesting to them or they think can help them improve their chances of getting a job after they get their green card.
In case you are looking to enroll in a master’s or a postgraduate program, then you will need to study for a GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). But this is also dependent on the college you are applying to if they need you to take a GRE or a GMAT.
Can H4 Visa Holders Study In The United States Of America?
An H4 visa is not as restrictive as a J1 or an F1 visa. While you cannot work, there are a handful of benefits that come into the picture when you are an H4 visa holder. First of all, you can stay in the United States of America as long as your sponsor and your visa remain valid. The important thing is that you can study in the United States of America as long as your H4 visa is also valid.
Apart from that, you can also apply for in-state tuition case you are in the United States of America if you are an H4 visa holder. But before applying for in-state tuition fees, you do need to talk to the admissions office. You can do all of these things without having the need to convert your H4 visa to an F1 visa.
Can I Convert My H4 Visa To An F1 Visa?
Yes, you can convert your H4 visa to an F1 visa. You can do so by either flying back to your home country or getting an F1 visa from there. Or you can apply for a transition from an H4 visa to an F1 visa by staying in the United States of America itself. Until your COS is not approved, you can keep your H4 visa status.
Conclusion
Annually, hundreds of thousands of men and women wish to immigrate to the United States of America to build a better life for themselves and their families. When it comes for an H4 visa holder to avail of education, it is much easier than an F1 visa holder as they can also save money. But the only drawback is that they cannot apply for any other federal scholarship grant.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can my H1-B visa sponsor apply for an educational loan?
Yes, your H1-B visa sponsor can apply for an educational loan.
2. Is it important to change my H4 visa to an F1 visa before I start studying?
No, if you have an H4 visa, you do not need to change it to an F1 visa. The validity of your H4 visa is largely dependent on the validity of your sponsor’s visa.