Select your appropriate visa status
The F-1 status is the most common visa status used by international students studying in the United States. Most international students who are seeking a degree and intend on graduating at UC Merced are in F-1 Visa status.
The J-1 Status is generally for students in specific educational exchange programs, such as the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or Fulbright program. This visa status is used by degree or non-degree seeking students. For those students who are on exchange programs, the J-1 visa status requires a majority of their financial support (51 percent or more) comes from sources other than personal funds. Certain graduate students who are primarily funded by fellowships and assistantships may also qualify for the J-1 visa.
