Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1470075
10 F‐2 dependent visas for spouse and children F‐1 students must obtain an I‐20 for family members (spouse and/or children) who wish to reside with them in the U.S. The family member(s) will use the I‐20 to support their application for an F‐2 visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate. The embassy/consulate will require evidence that you have adequate financial resources to support family members without depending upon employment. Under no circumstance will your spouse be able to take any employment after he/she reaches the U.S. F‐2 children may attend elementary or high school while they are in the U.S. F‐2 spouses may engage in part time study at the college level without changing status to F‐1. In addition, bringing family members to the U.S. is not considered a valid reason for needing employment authorization. It is preferred that families apply for F‐1 and F‐2 visas at the same time, but if the spouse and children must apply separately at a later time, they should bring a copy of the student visa holder's passport and visa, along with all other required documents. Visa denial or delay The majority of Denver Seminary students will successfully obtain their student visas. Despite this, a small number of students may have their visa applications denied. The most common reasons for visa denial are failure to provide either sufficient evidence of ties to your home country or sufficient evidence of financial support. The visa officer must verbally inform you of the reason for the visa denial. If your visa is denied, please contact the Denver Seminary Student Life Office, providing the date and location of the visa interview and detailing the reason given by the visa officer for the denial. You should also notify the seminary if you are subject to a security check and the check is not completed in time to arrive for your program start date. Further considerations No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of nonrefundable tickets should not be made until a visa has been issued. Unless previously canceled, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, if you have a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport, do not remove the visa page from the expired passport. You may use it along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States. For more information on visas, visit the Department of State website. When should I plan to arrive at Denver Seminary? The Department of Homeland Security allows you to enter the U.S. thirty (30) days or less in advance of the program start date as shown on the I‐20. Please consider this date carefully when making travel plans to the U.S. Continuing students may apply for a new visa at any time, as long as they have been maintaining student status and their SEVIS records are current. Continuing students may enter the U.S. at any time before their classes start. Other factors that may affect your decision include, but are not limited to: Start and end dates of public schools (for those with school‐age children); Housing lease agreements and move‐in dates;