Changing B2 to F1 status in the US: steps and risks

You can arrive in the US as a tourist and stay to study without a trip to a consulate. But a change of status has strict rules, and one mistake can cost you entry to the country.

Who can change status

You can apply if you entered lawfully on a nonimmigrant visa, your status is still valid, you haven't broken its conditions and you have no crimes that bar a visa. People who entered visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program, in transit on a C visa, as crew on a D visa or on a K fiancé visa cannot change status.

The steps

1. 1Get Form I-20 from a school certified by the SEVP programme.
2. 2Pay the SEVIS fee: $350 for F-1.
3. 3File Form I-539 with USCIS before the date on your I-94.
4. 4Wait for approval and only then start studying.

USCIS advises filing as soon as you decide to study. The procedure can be handed to a specialist: change of status inside the US.

What it costs

Tuition is set by the school. The I-20 shows the amount you prove you have for study and living.

The main risks

If you leave the US before a decision, USCIS generally treats the I-539 as abandoned. Advance parole does not save it, and returning with an expired status is likely to end in refused entry.

Starting classes before approval is a status violation: you may be barred from entry or removed. Keep an eye on the date in the bottom right corner of your I-94 for the whole time the case is pending. What an overstay leads to is covered in the article on entry bars.

The new rule for students

On 17 July 2026 DHS published a rule setting a fixed period of stay for students: up to four years, and up to 24 months for language courses. On 14 September a court in Massachusetts postponed its effective date, and USCIS is still accepting the previous edition of Form I-539 dated 28 August 2024. If you plan English courses, see the rules for language programmes on an F-1.