How do I Apply for a Student Visa Form I-538?

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Form I-538 allows foreign students attending American universities to work in the US. This form must be completed whether students are pursuing work for money or experience, and the employment must be related to the student's field of study.

1 Purpose

The I-538 form allows foreign students attending American universities on an F-1 visa to pursue off-campus work within their respective field. The form certifies that the job pursued is within the realm of that field and enables the student to apply.

2 Required Items

To apply for work using the I-538 form, a student must have his F-1 visa. Required information includes the student's admission number, educational pursuit and a description of the proposed job's relation to the student's field of study.

3 How to Complete

The form must be completed in its entirety and certified by the designated school official. The school official must also certify that the employment is related to the student's field of study.

Once certified, the document must be sent to ACS Students/Schools (STSC) Section, P.O. Box 170, London, KY 40742, for processing.

Nicholas Johnson is a Web programmer who has been moonlighting as a freelance writer since 2008, primarily in the realm of technical research documents and school curricula. He has also worked as an English teacher at an elementary school in South Korea. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in Web architecture from the University of Advancing Technology.

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