US Visa Thailand - M1 Visa Thailand

M1 vocational visa is for foreign students intending to pursue vocational training (excludes language studies). 

Vocational schools, formerly called trade schools, offer programs such as plumbing, electrical wiring, stone masonry, automotive repair, carpentry and welding, culinary arts, fashion design, teaching, nursing, medical assistants, computer network administrators, landscape designers, web-site designers and new "Green" trades.

M1 vocational visa applicants must first apply to a qualified school in the US and get accepted. The school will send the “Form I-20I-D” after the applicant is accepted. Form I-20I-D is a confirmation form for foreign students, which includes a summary of estimated costs per year for attending the school.

Applicants can apply for a M1 vocational visa applicants after receiving the Form I-201-D from their school.

Applicants must prove they or their sponsors have enough funds to cover their education / living expenses in the US and a strong intent to return to their home country.

Normally, the sponsor of a M1 vocational visa should be an employer or anb immediate family member such as parents, brother / sister or other family members.

Applicant’s cases will be scrutinized more closely by US Embassy officers if their sponsor is not an employer or immediate family member due to the high number of applicants attempting to commit student visa fraud.

M1 vocational visa applications normally take 1 - 3 weeks to process if the applicant has already received Form I-201-D from their school and depending on the caseload of the local US Embassy.