Review common visa types for students, scholars, and their dependents at Colorado State University.
The table immediately below provides information on visa types for students, scroll to the bottom of the page to access the most common visa types for scholars.
Most Common Visa Types for Students and Their Dependents at CSU
| Visa Type | Description | Study | Restrictions on Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | Student Visa | Must study full-time. Part-time study only for acceptable cause authorized by ISSS. | On-campus 20 hours/week while school is in session. FT during official school breaks, including summer. Off-campus very limited and must be approved either by ISSS or by USCIS before starting work. Eligible for optional practical training (OPT) following completion of degree program. |
| F-2 | Dependent of an individual holding F-1 status. | May study part-time. Must change to F-1 if wanting to study full-time toward a degree. | Individuals in F-2 status are not permitted to work. |
| J-1 | Student Category | Must study full time. Part-time study only for acceptable cause authorized by ISSS. | On-campus 20 hours/week with prior written authorization from ISSS. May work off-campus under limited circumstances with prior written authorization from ISSS. Eligible for Academic Training following completion of degree program. |
| J-2 | Dependent of an individual holding J-1 status | May engage in part-time or full-time study. | Eligible to apply to USCIS for work authorization. Must have EAD before beginning employment. May work for any employer. Must re-apply for employment authorization to continue working beyond expiration date on the EAD card. |
Most Common Visa Types for Scholars and Their Dependents at CSU
| Visa Type | Typical Use | Pros | Cons | Processing Time | Duration | Estimated Cost to Department |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-1 Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar | Postdocs, research associates, visiting professors | Fast, inexpensive, dependents may work with authorization from USCIS. | May be subject to two-year home residency requirement or bars on repeat participation. | Typically 8 weeks or more. | Short-term scholar up to six months; Professor/Research Scholar up to five years. | $400 |
| J-1 Student Intern | Undergrads at an institution outside the U.S. visiting CSU to complete a required internship. | Fairly fast and inexpensive, permits employment of the student intern. | A bit more paperwork than other J-1 categories. | Typically 8 weeks or more. | Up to one year | $400 |
| J-2 | Dependent of an individual holding J-1 status | May engage in part-time or full-time study. Eligible to apply to USCIS for work authorization. | May be subject to two-year home residency requirement or bars on repeat participation. | Typically 8 weeks or more. | Limited in duration to length of J-1’s program. | $0 |
| H-1B Temporary Worker in a Specialty Occupation | Professional research staff and faculty. | May study if incidental to the primary purpose of the stay while maintaining valid status. | Longer process; more expensive. Employment permitted only with the petitioning organization through whom the visa classification was obtained. | Typically many months; can be expedited by paying an extra fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. | Three years initially; six years maximum. | $2460 – $4960 |
| H-4 | Dependent of individual in H-1B status | May engage in part-time or full-time study. | Not typically eligible for work authorization. | Processing time closely associated with the processing time for H-1B. | Three years initially; six years maximum | Costs typically paid by the H-1B employee. |
| Visa Waiver | Visitor for business or tourism. | Fast and inexpensive; May visit the U.S. for a short period of time to engage in business or tourism. | Only available to citizens of certain countries designated by the U.S. Department of State. Travel requires pre- registration in ESTA. | Pre-registration required only days before travel. | Up to 90 days. No extensions of stay or changes of status allowed. | Costs typically paid by the visitor. |
| TN | Professional staff and faculty | Fairly fast and inexpensive. May engage in incidental study while maintaining TN status. | Only available to citizens of Canada or Mexico and allows employment only in certain designated occupations. | Status conveyed when entering through a U.S. port of entry. | Up to three years; extendable. | Costs typically paid by the TN employee. |
| TD | Dependent of TN | May engage in part- or full-time study. | Not permitted to be employed in the United States. | Status conveyed when entering through a U.S. port of entry. | Up to three years; extendable | Costs typically paid by the TN employee. |
| E-3 | Professional staff and faculty | Fairly fast. Less expensive than other employment visas. | Only available to citizens of Australia. | Typically just a matter of weeks. Highly dependent on visa appointment wait time and processing time at the local U.S. Consulate. | Up to two years; extendable. | $250 if applying from abroad; $1960 if applying to extend or change status to E-3 in the U.S. |
| E-3D dependent | Dependent of E-3 employee | May engage in part- or full-time study. | Processing time closely associated with the processing time for E-3 | Up to two years; extendable | Costs typically paid by the E-3 employee | |
| O-1 | Professional staff and faculty | Can be a useful option when H-1B isn’t otherwise possible. | Requires documentation of extraordinary ability. Employment permitted only with the petitioning organization through whom the visa classification was obtained. | Typically many months; can be expedited by paying an extra fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. | Up to three years; extendable in one-year increments. | $1960 – $4460 |
| O-3 | Dependent of O-1 | May engage in part-time or full-time study. | Not permitted to be employed in the United States. | Processing time closely associated with the processing time for O-1 | Up to three years; extendable in one-year increments. | Costs typically paid by the O-1 employee |
| B-1 Visitor for Business | Individuals in the U.S. for a short period of time to engage in business activities. | An academic institution may pay honoraria and associated incidental expenses for a usual academic activity lasting not longer than 9 days in any single institution if the visitor has not accepted such payment or expenses from more than five institutions or organizations over the last six months. | Not permitted to be employed in the U.S. but may generally accept reimbursements for expenses. | Typically just a matter of weeks depending on visa appointment wait time and processing time in the home country. | Up to six months. | Costs typically paid by the visitor. |
| B-2 Visitor for Tourism | Individuals in the U.S. for travel, tourism, and recreational purposes. | An academic institution may pay honoraria and associated incidental expenses for a usual academic activity lasting not longer than 9 days in any single institution if the visitor has not accepted such payment or expenses from more than five institutions or organizations over the last six months. | Not permitted to be employed in the U.S. and cannot even receive reimbursements for expenses. | Typically just a matter of weeks depending on visa appointment wait time and processing time in the home country. | Up to six months. | Costs typically paid by the visitor. |