The spouse (husband/wife) and unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible to come to the U.S. as the dependents of international students and scholars coming to The Catholic University of America.
Dependents of F-1 Students
Family members of F-1 students are given F-2 status. In order to obtain F-2 status, CUA must issue a separate Form I-20 for them. This document is tied the the F-1 student's record in SEVIS and will reflect the program validity dates of the student's academic program. Some important things to remember for F-2 status holders:
- they are not legally able to work
- they are not legally allowed to engage in a proscribed course of study (exception: elementary and secondary education for children).
To request immigration documents be issued for family members who will apply for F-2 status, complete the Dependent Request Form.
Dependents already in the U.S. in another immigration status will either need to file an application for change of status with USCIS or use the Form I-20 to apply for the F-2 visa at a U.S. consulate outside the U.S.
Dependents of J-1 Students, Professors, Research Scholars, Short-term Scholars and Specialists
Family members of J-1 Exchange Visitors are given J-2 status. In order to obtain J-2 status, CUA must issue a separate Form DS-2019 for each member of the family. This document is tied the the J-1 Exchange Visitor's record in SEVIS and will reflect the program validity dates of the J-1 program. Some important things to remember for J-2 status holders:
- they are legally able to apply for work permission
- they are legally allowed to study
If you already hold J-1 status and want to request immigration documents be issued for family members who will apply for J-2 status, complete the Dependent Request Form.
Dependents already in the U.S. in another immigration status will either need to file an application for change of status with USCIS or use the Form DS-2019 to apply for the J-2 visa at a U.S. consulate outside the U.S.
Dependents of Employees of the University H-1B, TN, O-1
Family members of international employees in temporary work status such as H-1B, TN, O-1, etc are eligible for derivative status equal in length tot he duration of the international employee's work authorization. Unlike with the F or the J status, CUA does not issue any document specifically for the dependents. Some important things to remember for these dependents:
- They are legally able to study
- They cannot legally work.
Dependents already in the U.S. in another immigration status will either need to file an application for change of status with USCIS or apply for the visa at a U.S. consulate outside the U.S.