The F-1 visa is the main student visa for studying in the United States, issued to international students enrolled full-time at an SEVP-certified college, university, seminary or language school. It covers the whole journey — from getting your I-20 and paying the SEVIS fee, to the consular interview, to what you’re allowed to do once you arrive.
Rules around work are where most students get tripped up. On-campus work, CPT, OPT and the STEM OPT extension each come with their own limits, and breaking them can put your status at risk. Recent policy shifts and falling international enrolment numbers have also changed what applicants should expect.
This tag collects our coverage of the F-1 visa: eligibility and application walkthroughs, comparisons with the M and J student visas, work and post-study options, and updates on how US student visa policy is evolving.
The cap-gap extension is the rule that keeps an F-1 student in status, and often still working, between the day their Optional Practical Training or study period runs out and the day an H-1B job can begin. The gap exists because of the H-1B calendar.
Cap-Gap Extension: How F-1 OPT Bridges to H-1B Status Continue Reading »
US visa social media vetting is now routine for many American visas, not a proposal under discussion. Since 2019, most applicants have had to list the social media handles they used in the past five years on their visa application, and since June 2025, a
US Visa Social Media Vetting: Who Is Checked and What to Expect Continue Reading »
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is the work authorisation that lets an F-1 student take an internship, co-op or practicum while still enrolled, provided the training is an integral part of the degree. It sits alongside on-campus jobs, Optional Practical Training and the STEM extension as
Curricular Practical Training (CPT): Rules for F-1 Students Continue Reading »
Optional Practical Training is the work authorisation that allows an F-1 student to take a paid job in the United States in their field of study, for up to 12 months after finishing a degree. For most international graduates, it is the first, and often
Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the US: Rules and What Changed Continue Reading »
The number of international students in the US is falling, and the data from 2025 and 2026 make that drop hard to read as a temporary dip. For decades, the United States was the default first choice for students from India, China, South Korea, Nigeria,
International Students in the US: Why Numbers Are Falling Continue Reading »
