High School Student

[LEISEROM 32]

My wifes grand nephew was here during school vacation from Rio.No problem getting a tourist visa. But he has a bright idea he would like to finish HS here. Unfortunately HISD doesnt issue I-20's. Texas law says everyone gets free public education. But federal law says unless on J visa must reimburse school district(which district cant accept). So HISD doesnt issue I20's. Went and talked to them and they said usual route is to go to private schools(which do issue I20's). However the private schools around here all charge 13-20K per year(payable in advance). Beyond grandparents ability to pay.

So he wants to come back on tourist visa and enroll in HS(they have to take him). I think this is a bad idea-violating visa right off bat. His mother came here in 1993 and did this. A friend of my wifes niece did this in another district. They had to pull her out as her tourist visa was expiring.

Anyone had experience with this. I told him best move is finish HS in Brazil. Then apply to JC here get student visa. HCC juco is dirt cheap.

[Bill and Vicky 25]

You don't want to encourage your family member to start off his stay in the U.S. with a fraudulent act. Even if he gets away with it, he's now decided the way to succeed is to cheat the system.

Finishing high school in Brazil and then applying for a student visa seems like a better idea.

Regards,

Bill

[Boiler 45,666]

Parents pay for HS, everybody happy.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

visitors visas are never good for more than 6 months at one entry and they will not let him do a turn around. Violate the visitors visa ( attend school ) and he won't be doing college here or visiting again.

[Dohan 133]

He should finish high school in Brazil and then apply for colleges and student visa here. A good option for college studies is a Fulbright Scholarship. This is a program for international students to come to the US to study, they cover tuition, not sure about the stipend though.

a) what he wants to do with the high school definitely is fraud and b) even IF and that is a HUGE IF, you find a school you can afford and he gets in, and somehow stays here the whole year and finishes the school, they would not issue a high school diploma for him. So all that drama would be for nothing.

Check with the Board of Education, or however they are called in your state, if he might be eligible to take a GED exam. But then if he wants to come here with a student visa for college or Fulbright, a GED would not be enough.

So there you go, some options for you. But I think BEST is for him to complete high school in Brazil and then look for student visa options to US colleges.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

As everyone else has said, tourist visa to attend school is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Has he looked into an exchange year?

[LEISEROM 32]

Thanks for input. Thats what I told him. Finish the HS in Brazil and do the college here. He is welcome to stay at our house and go to the local JUCO. He has these visions of playing HS soccer. Even though its summer i got hold of the coach. He was checking with Department chairman as to eligibility. While the coach was excited about getting a Brazilian he made it clear he was not sticking his neck out for anyone.

I guess he thinks since he has a tourist visa he can come here and just go to school and do what american kids do. While the Texas schools must enroll you(its the law) there is no requirement for them to give you a HS diploma. He can get into a JUCO with a GED but I believe a GED requires you to pass American history, math,etc. math isnt his strong suit and he doesent know american history.

[LEISEROM 32]

Also part of the issue is his cousin is at Florida Tech in Melbourne and is on the swim team. So he sees his cousin doing good wants to do what he is doing. However his cousin was born in Houston while his parents were going to school here 20 years ago. So he has American passport so no student visa needed. Also his cousin went to the American school in Rio which is an accredited american school. cousins grandmother had resources to pay for it. So he was well prepared to go to college in USA. I It cost a lot but its where expats send their kids. He had a swimming scholarship offer to Boston University but it got pulled when he got a D in chemistry. But FT is okay.

But grandnephew went to some lesser school. Its just not the same.

[Boiler 45,666]

My step son finished High School at an American School in London. That sounds a good option, educational standards were good. Much better than in the US.

[LEISEROM 32]

the issue is he thinks he can do one semester here and graduate. I just dont know about that. Will go talk to counselors when school resumes.

[Boiler 45,666]

You really need to leave it alone.

[canadian_wife 1,823]

19. Can a foreign student attend school in Texas when he enters the country with a tourist visa?

A foreign student cannot attend Texas public schools on a full-time basis with a tourist visa as this would be in violation of his/her visa status. However, the school district cannot deny the student enrollment on the basis of his/her visa status. The student only has to demonstrate eligibility to enroll under a provision of TEC §25.001.

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5771#19

So, yes, they cannot deny him but it does put his status in jeopardy. If he ever wants another non-immigrant visa, such as an F-1, he shouldn't violate the terms of a tourist visa. If he does, I doubt he'll be attending anymore school in the US

Good luck

[LEISEROM 32]

The whole issue is he has a tourist visa. His mother came here some 20 years ago and just started attending hs. So he thinks he can do the same thing. But she never had any intention of going to college here. But he wants to and live with us. I would hate for him to come here go to HS and be denied an F1 visa because he violated his B1/2 visa. The problem is he assumes well I am here I can just do what I want. Sorry it isnt like that. But he wouldnt be the first Brazilian in the US who thinks they know everything.

Plus his uncle and girlfriend came here in 1991 and changed his B2 to an F1 while here. They never attended HS here just went straight to college.

If he gets into a mess he thinks we can correct it for him.

The right answer is finish the last year of HS in Brazil and go to college here.

[LEISEROM 32]

19. Can a foreign student attend school in Texas when he enters the country with a tourist visa?

A foreign student cannot attend Texas public schools on a full-time basis with a tourist visa as this would be in violation of his/her visa status. However, the school district cannot deny the student enrollment on the basis of his/her visa status. The student only has to demonstrate eligibility to enroll under a provision of TEC §25.001.

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5771#19

So, yes, they cannot deny him but it does put his status in jeopardy. If he ever wants another non-immigrant visa, such as an F-1, he shouldn't violate the terms of a tourist visa. If he does, I doubt he'll be attending anymore school in the US

Good luck

Thats exactly what the parent office at Houston Independent School District told me. The person was exactly familiar what I was talking about.

[aaron2020 11,651]

US public high schools have to take every child - even those here illegally.

Tell him that if never ever want to come back to the US, then go ahead and commit visa fraud.

Dum dum dum dum.

Next time a Brazilian can't get a tourist visa, he can blame people like your nephew who thinks it's a great idea to abuse a tourist visa and commit visa fraud.

Where are his parents? Why would they let him do such a stupid thing that will have unintended long term consequences?

Children are stupid because they think they know it all. Where are the adults to stop children from doing stupid things that will ruin their future?

Edited July 20, 2014 by aaron2020