M-2 Visa for Family of M-1 Vocational Student Visa Holder

The M-2 visa permits the spouse and minor children of an M-1 vocational student to accompany him or her to the United States for a nonacademic course of study.

By way of background, a visa is legal permission for a foreign national to seek entry at a border, airport, or other point of entry. In the case of a nonimmigrant visa such as an M-1, the stay must be a temporary, time-limited one. The United States offers numerous different types of visas based on the different reasons for seeking entry. Each type of visa confers a different legal status on the visa holder and comes with various rights and restrictions.

There are no limits on the number of M-2 visas that can be issued each year.

M-2 Visa Requirements

In order to be eligible for an M-2 visa, the applicants must have an immediate family relationship with an M-1 vocational student visa applicant holder. More specifically, you must be the spouse or child (unmarried and under the age of 21) of an M-1 student.

You will need to prove your family relationship, and submit separate sets of application forms on your own behalf. Like every applicant for a U.S. visa, you will have to show that you don't present such a high health, security, or other risk that you are what's called "inadmissible" to the United States. For more on this issue, see "Immigrant Inadmissibility to the United States."

Rights and Restrictions While in the U.S. on an M-2 Visa

M-2 visa holders can spend the same amount of time in the United States as the M-1 visa holder, or travel in and out as often as they like. They may not, however, accept employment in the United States. If the M-1 visa holder successfully applies for an extension of the visa, the M-2 visa holders can also apply for extensions.

M-2 Visa Application Process

To obtain a M-2 visa, you should normally submit your application in conjunction with the student family member’s M-1 visa application. You can also do so after the M-1 applicant is granted the visa.

As with many nonimmigrant visa applications, you must submit the following M-2 documents:

• DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (available on the State Department website -- you'll print out the bar code afterward)
• Valid passport
• One 2x2 photograph in the appropriate format

As with any nonimmigrant visa application, you will need to pay a nonrefundable processing fee. Get the latest figures from the"Fees for Visa Services" page of the State Department's website.

You may also be responsible for paying a nonimmigrant visa issuance fee, depending on reciprocity agreements between your country of origin and the United States.

M-2 Visa Grace Period

M-2 visa holders have a period of thirty days following the completion of the student family member’s course of study in which to prepare to leave the United States.

Can an M-2 Visa Holder Get a U.S. Green Card (Permanent Residence)?

Having an M-2 visa does not give you any special access to applying for a U.S. green card. For more information on who is eligible for U.S. lawful permanent residence, see "Eligibility for a U.S. Green Card."