Eligibility for admission. Except as provided in paragraph
(m)(4) of this section, an alien seeking admission to the United States
under section 101(a)(15)(M)(i) of the Act (as an M - 1 student) and the
student's accompanying M - 2 spouse and minor children, if applicable, are
not eligible for admission unless --
- The student presents a Certificate of Eligibility for
Nonimmigrant (M- 1) Student Status, Form I - 20M - N, properly and
completely filled out by the student and by the designated official of the
school to which the student is destined and the documentary evidence of
the student's financial ability required by that form; and
- It is established that the student is destined to and
intends to attend the school specified in the student's visa unless the
student is exempt from the requirement for presentation of a visa.
Disposition of Form I - 20M - N. When a student is
admitted to the United States, the inspecting officer shall forward Form I -
20M - N to the Service's processing center. The processing center shall
forward Form I - 20N to the school which issued the form to notify the
school of the student's admission.
Form I - 20 ID copy. The first time an M - 1 student comes
into contact with the Service for any reason, the student must present to
the Service a Form I - 20M - N properly and completely filled out by the
student and by the designated official of the school the student is
attending or intends to attend. The student will be issued a Form I - 20 ID
copy with his or her admission number. The student must have the Form I - 20
ID copy with him or her at all times. If the student loses the Form I - 20
ID copy, the student must request a new Form I - 20 ID copy on Form I - 102
from the Service office having jurisdiction over the school the student was
last authorized to attend.
Spouse and minor children following to join student. The M
– 2 spouse and minor children following to join an M - 1 student are not
eligible for admission to the United States unless they present, as evidence
that the student is or will, within sixty days, be enrolled in a full course
of study or is engaged in approved practical training, either –
- A properly endorsed page 4 of Form I - 20M - N if there
has been no substantive change in the information on the student's most
recent Form I - 20M since the form was initially issued; or
- A new Form I - 20M - N if there has been any
substantive change in the information on the student's most recent Form I
- 20M since the form was initially issued.
Period of stay. An alien admitted to the United States as
an M - 1 student is to be admitted for the period of time necessary to
complete the course of study indicated on Form I - 20M plus thirty days
within which to depart from the United States or for one year, whichever is
less. An alien granted a change of nonimmigrant classification to that of an
M - 1 student is to be given an extension of stay for the period of time
necessary to complete the course of study indicated on Form I-20M plus
thirty days within which to depart from the United States or for one year,
whichever is less.
