Immigration laws in the United States provide for severe penalties if you fail to comply with your immigration responsibilities. Maintenance of accurate records at the ISO and in the Cambridge College Registrar's Office is especially important since details of your status are reported automatically to DHS through SEVIS. You should work closely with the ISO staff to make certain that you comply with all F-1 regulations. The staff of the ISO is always pleased to provide you with information, counseling and assistance so that you may achieve your educational goals while at Cambridge College.
F-2 Dependents
Only the spouse and unmarried minor children (under 21 years old) of an F-1 student are eligible to enter the United States in F-2 dependent status. Each dependent must receive their own I-20 if they wish to obtain an F-2 visa and enter the U.S. in F-2 status.
Conditions of F-2 Status
F-2 dependents may remain lawfully in the U.S. as long as the F-1 student is maintaining F-1 status. However, dependents may not accept employment in the U.S. The F-2 spouse may not engage in full time study, and an F-2 child may only engage in full time study if the study is in an elementary or secondary school (kindergarten through twelfth grade). F-2 dependents may engage in study that is a vocational or recreational in nature (e.g. one English course or a sports or music/art class).
Requesting an I-20 for a Dependent
If your dependents have not already been issued their own I-20 documents and you wish to bring them to the U.S. in F-2 status, please contact the ISO for instructions.
Entering the U.S. in F-2 Status
Dependents are eligible for admission to the United States in F-2 status when they either accompany the F-1 student into the U.S., or wish join the F-1 student who has already been admitted into the U.S. in F-1 status. Dependents must each present a valid I-20, a valid F-2 visa (except citizens of Canada) and a passport that is valid at least 6 months from the date of entry.
Changing Dependents to F-2 Status When They Are Already in the U.S.
If you are a Cambridge College F-1 student and your dependents are already present in the U.S. in another non-immigrant status, the ISO will assist you to change your dependents to F-2 status. However, if they have imminent plans to travel out of the U.S. before their current nonimmigrant status expires, they can follow the above instructions for "Entering the U.S. in F-2 Status".
Extension of Stay for F-2 Dependents
An F-2 dependent's permission to remain in the U.S. is automatically extended when the F-1 student is approved for a Program Extension or for Optional Practical Training following their completion of studies.
Other Family Members
If other members of an F-1 student's family, including children over the age of 21, wish to enter the U.S. temporarily to visit the student in the U.S., they may enter on a B-2 tourist visa. Cambridge College F-1 students may request a letter of invitation from the ISO to send to a relative to assist them with applying for a B-2 visa.
Cambridge College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The College and all its degree programs are authorized by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. The College is authorized to operate and offer selected degree programs in their states by the California Bureau for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education, the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, the Council on Higher Education of Puerto Rico, and the Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Cambridge College is authorized for operation as a postsecondary education institute by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in the state of Tennessee.
