Bringing Dependents to the U.S.

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Bringing Dependents To The U.S.

The process to bring someone to the U.S. is dependant on your relationship with that person as well as how long they plan to stay in the United States. Below you will find detailed information about those processes as well as all the documentation that will need to be completed.

Contact OISP

Contact Information

Phone: 614.797.4700
Email: oisp@franklin.edu

Address:
Franklin University
Office of International Students and Programs
201 S. Grant Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215
USA

Office Hours

Available virtually and by phone:
Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Available in person by appointment only:
Monday - Wednesday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

All times listed are Eastern Time (ET).

Schedule An Appointment

Prospective Franklin students: click here to schedule an appointment with a member of the international admissions team.

Current Franklin students: click here to schedule an appointment with an international advising coordinator.

For in-person appointments, free parking is available in lot adjacent to the Paul J. Otte Center for Student Services. Notify the Welcome Center staff when you have arrived.

When scheduling a phone appointment, provide a U.S. phone number, and we will call you at the scheduled time. If you do not have a U.S. phone number, please schedule a virtual appointment.

When scheduling a virtual appointment, provide an email address you check regularly, and we will send you a link to a Microsoft Teams meeting. View Microsoft Teams instructions.

Relatives and Friends

F-2 Visa (Dependent Visa)

If you are an F-1 student and your children or spouse would like to visit, they would be considered your dependents and would therefore fulfill the requirements for a F-2 visa. If this is the case please contact OISP.

B-2 Visa (Visitor Visa)

If you like to invite friends or family from abroad to visit you in the United States for a short time either the Visa Waiver Program or the B-2 visa would be the appropriate visa.

The purpose of the B-visa is to come to the United States temporarily for no longer than 90 days for purposes such as vacation, tourism, visiting friends or relatives. The applicant will have to prove that they have no intent to immigrate, meaning they have to show evidence that they have binding ties outside the United States and that they have sufficient funds to cover the expenses during their stay in the U.S.

Invitation Letter

An invitation letter is not necessary. You may write your friends or relatives a formal letter including name and relationship of the visitor, the length of visit, who will financially support their visit and the purpose of their trip. If they are planning to attend the graduation ceremony you can send them a copy of your graduation information, a graduation announcement, a copy of a letter certifying your impending graduation, or a copy of your registration statement to prove that you are currently enrolled in classes. If you are supporting your visitors financially you might want to provide financial documents.

To find out what the specific Embassy/Consulate requires check their website at https://www.usembassy.gov. Please note that there might be restrictions on what you are allowed to bring with you to the Consulate or Embassy.

Application Process

Your friends or relatives will have to complete the following steps to apply for a visa:

Online Application
- Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160).
- Upload a photo that fulfills the requirements.
Schedule a visa interview at the nearest Embassy/ Consulate at https://www.usembassy.gov.
Attend the visa interview. It is recommended to bring the following items to the interview:
- Current valid passport
- Appointment confirmation
- DS-160 application form – confirmation page
- Photo -- More information here
- Any proof of ties to the home country such as a letter of the employer, proof of property etc.

You can find more information concerning visitor visas at https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visitor.html and https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/VisaFlyer_B1B2%20March%202015.pdf

Visa Waiver Program
If the visitor is a citizen of one of the currently 38 countries in the Visa Waiver Program they do not need a B-visa. You can find more information about the Visa Waiver Program at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html.

Please note that a traveler who entered the U.S. on the Visa Waiver program CANNOT change status within the US.

Bringing Dependents To The U.S.

Contact OISP

F-2 Visa (Dependent Visa)

B-2 Visa (Visitor Visa)

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