Who Is Eligible for the MLC Form I-20
Any applicant who plans to study in MLC’s Intensive English Program (20 class hours per week) can apply for the MLC I-20.
Applying for F-1 Student Visas
Michigan Language Center (MLC) is authorized by U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to issue the Form I-20. The Form I-20 is the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. Prospective students take MLC’s Form I-20 to the American Consulate in their country to apply for the F-1 student visa.
The American Consulate will want to know that the applicant qualifies for the F-1 student visa by seeing evidence that the applicant:
- Is a bona fide student with a need to study English
- Has the financial means to study and live in the United States
- Has intentions to return to his/her home country after completing studies
- The American Consulate will make the final decision of who is eligible for the F-1 student visa.
See the following article, 10 Points to Remember When Applying for a Student Visa, published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, for helpful advice for F-1 student visa applicants.
See the detailed process for applying for the MLC I-20 and F-1 Student Visa at our F-1 Student Visa Application Process page.
Maintaining F-1 Student Visa
Once a student enters the U.S. on the F-1 Student Visa, it is very important to comply with SEVP regulations to maintain the F-1 visa status and stay in the U.S on the MLC student visa. To maintain a student visa for study at MLC, a student must:
- Arrive at the MLC on the registration date of their intended Session of Study
- Enroll in and pay registration costs for the Intensive English Program which meets 20 hours per week
- Consistently attend all classes at MLC on a daily basis
- Make proven progress in English studies
A student completes his or her studies at MLC when the student does one of the following:
- Obtains admission into another school in the U.S. and transfers the I-20 record to the new school
OR - Returns to the home country
Transferring to MLC
MLC welcomes F1-visa students who transfer from other language schools and universities. If a student is interested in transferring to MLC, they can see the instructions at our webpage, How to Transfer to MLC. They can also review the instructions for transferring at the following U.S. Department of Homeland Security webpage: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/instructions-for-transferring-to-another-school-as-an-f-1-student.
F-2 Dependents
If an applicant is going to come to the US with a spouse and/or minor child (child under the age of 21), MLC will also issue the Form I-20 for each family member so that the spouse or child can apply for an F-2 visa. The American Consulate makes the final decision of issuing the F-1 student visa and the F-2 dependent visa.
F-2 minor children must comply with compulsory education requirements in attending kindergarten through 12th grade. To learn more about the public schools in the city of Ann Arbor (where MLC is located), visit: https://www.a2schools.org.
F-2 spouses may participate in avocational or recreational studies such as non-credited English class, art class, or music class.
For complete information about F-2 dependents, see: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/dependents.
