How does my boyfriend obtain temp. residency in the U.S. to attend a culinary school? Does this take long?

Question

He is italian and lives in Rome Italy..and would like to move to the U.S. and attend a culinary school in California. Does he qualify for financial aid, grants, loans? What kind of visa does he need, or is it possible to obtain temporary residency?

Answer 1

This is kind of confusing, seems there are different answers out there and the way to go about the process. I am answering this question because I've been around people who went through this process.

Your boyfriend needs to apply to the school. When the school accepts him, they will send him a letter to confirm that. In the letter there will be an I-20 which basically states that he is accepted to the school, when the classes are scheduled to commence, and the length of the course. He will need to take this form (I-20), application form for student visa and the required financial affidavit to show that he can support himself in the US without relying on the government to the US Consulate office in Rome. If his application is approved by the US Embassy, they will issue him a student visa for the period of his study time.

As for Financial aid - the FAFSA is only given to permanent residents and citizens. You can search online for grants and scholarships for international students. Loans might be harder as he needs a SS number and the SS office is not issuing them to non permanent residents or citizens any more.

Also check if the school he wants to attend offers scholarships to international students, some schools do.

All the best!

Answer 2

As long as he is not Korean, the US lets everyone in on student visas.

just kidding on the korean thing...sorta

Answer 3

He can apply for a student visa, he probably wont get much financial aid, and will have to leave after he is done studying and his visa expires.

Update to the other answer: Most (99%) of schools give preference to US citizens and permanent residents becuase financial aid comes directly from tax money (income tax) and most international students don't have parents who contribute income tax to the US.

Answer 4

He has to apply for a student Visa and gain F-1 (student) status. Once he gets accepted to the school he will need them to send him a filled out I-92 that he will take to the port of entry (where he enters the US). Using this form he will apply for the visa (it will have already been pre-approved or denied by the school communicating with homeland before sending you an I-92) Financial aid has to do with the school, and not Homeland security.

I'm a canadian who attends College in the US, that's how I know!

Update on Financial Aid: Two the reply above: This is true only for Public school. I attended a private institution that gave out financial aid purely on a needs basis.

Answer 5

As others have said - a little confused, but fairly accurately - your boyfriend can apply for an F-1 student visa at the US embassy or consulate nearest to where he lives in Italy.  The student visa process is this:

He applies to a US school and is accepted (it is extremely unlikely that he will be offered financial aid or a loan)

the school sends an I-20 form to him

he pays the SEVIS fee, the visa application fee, makes an interview appointment and takes the I-20, the fee receipts, and a DS-156, 157 and 158 forms to apply for the visa

If he gets the visa, he flies off to the US and goes to school

On the other hand, if he really wants to move to the US, whether or not he goes to school, and has no intention of returning to Italy, he must apply for an immigrant visa based either on a family relationship or an employer's petition.  If you intend to marry, you can petition for him either as a spouse or as a fiance.  But a student visa is a nonimmigrant visa - he can study, but cannot stay.