Can I change status from B1/B2 to F-1 inside the US?

Key answer

Yes, on Form I-539 after the school issues an I-20, without leaving. The chats file no earlier than about 3 months after entry so as not to look like someone who decided to stay "at once", and wait from a month with premium to 7-8 months. No F-1 visa is issued - for travel you get it at a consulate; language courses are approved far less often than universities.

Community answers

The answers below are translated from the original Russian - the language of the community chats.

"I filed for F-1 after 3 months in the country, paid premium - and got an RFE: why not study the language at home; after my reply it was approved. F-1 took a little over a month, F-2 for my family almost a year."
After the change of status the I-94 resets and trips outside the US become a risk: you may not be let back in during the holidays, the chats warn, so better stay until the petition is decided.
Middlemen charge real money for what you can do yourself: picking a school and getting the I-20 costs nothing, and the schools on their lists have long been on the consuls' blacklist.

The answers are anonymized community experience from the public chats, not legal advice. Officers may decide similar cases differently.

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All questions on: Consulate and interview All questions on: Choosing a category

Can I change status from B1/B2 to F-1 inside the US?

Community answers

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