F-1, J-1, H1B - a Comparison of Visas on College Campuses in the U.S.

There are several categories of student visas. While this post doesn't cover all categories of student visas, we will look at F-1 (students), J-1 (scholars), H1B (employees). 

The information in this post comes from various U.S. university websites and immigration lawyer websites. I have created PDFs of the current (March 2017) pages, with a link to the page. As visa regulations can change from time to time, feel free to click the links into that university's page to see if they have updated their information. 

Comparing F-1 and J-1 
Let's take a look at some salient differences between the F-1 student visa and J-1 scholar visas as documented by the University of Michigan International Center.


See the original site here for updates since March 2017.

Student Visa: F-1 versus J-1 - International Center, University of Michigan from Jennifer Kumar

Differences between J-1 and H1B
While the J-1 visa is meant for short term scholars, the H1B visa is meant for employment. Let's look how these two visas stack up against each other.


See the current information posted at the
International Student and Scholars Office page, Temple University.

International scholars employees: Differences between H1 and J1 status- ISSS Temple University from Jennifer  Kumar

J-1 vs. H1B
While Temple University shares the information from the perspective of a campus community, the below page is maintained by an immigration law firm. Study the pros and cons of these visas below.


See the most current legal precedents at the Peng & Weber site.

Critical differences between H1b and J-1 visas: Peng & Weber from Jennifer Kumar

I hope these resources have been a helpful guide in understanding the salient features of various visas sponsored by college and university campuses in the U.S. 

Learn more at Study in the States.
Avoid Immigration Scams in America 
The J-1 Student Visa Program