Comparison of Student Visas

International Services Office

F-1 students are non-immigrants pursuing a full course of study towards a specific educational or professional objective at an academic institution in the U.S., as designated by the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The F-1 student visa document is the form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status).

J-1 students are non-immigrants pursuing a full course of study toward specific educational or professional objectives at academic institutions in the U.S., as designated by the Department of State (DOS). J-1 students must be “sponsored” or financially supported by the university, a scholarship or fellowship. The J-1 student visa document is the form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status).

Below please find a chart comparing F-1 and J-1 student visas.

Questions About Status	F-1 (Form I-20)	J-1 (Form DS-2019)
The Cost of SEVIS Fee for Visa Application	$350	$220
Validity Dates of Immigration Document at Scripps Research	6 years for program completion.	Document is issued for length of guaranteed funding, up to 6 years for program completion.
Could a two-year home residence requirement be imposed?	No	There is a two-year home residence requirement for citizens of certain countries, including much of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Can a student change from this visa status to a different visa status, such as H-1B temporary worker?	May change status if qualified.	May change status if qualified but if subject to two-year home residence requirement, change of status is prohibited.
What is the grace period to stay after document expires?	60 days	30 days
Is work authorization allowed once a PhD degree is granted?	Yes	Yes
Does work authorization require a petition to be filed with the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS)?	Yes. Fee is currently $410 (April 2018).	No
What type of work authorization is available?	Optional Practical Training (OPT) for 12 months with possible 24-month extension for STEM OPT.	Academic Training (AT) for up to 36 months.
What is the length of work authorization?	12 months may be granted, with a possible extension of 24 months. Employment must be in the field of study and the extension requires that the graduate have an “E-Verify” employer.	18 months may be granted, with a possible extension of 18 months. Any type of employment in the field of study is allowed.
Dependent Status	F-2	J-2
Can dependents apply for work authorization?	Dependents cannot work.	Dependents can apply for work authorization and work in any field; work permit costs $410 and takes 4-6 months to receive.