VisasStudying English in the United States in 2026: apply at home, budget for time
Visa interviews were paused in 2025, issuance fell by a third that summer, and a court paused a new fixed-term rule for students in 2026. The United States still hosts more international students than anywhere. How to plan a language course there without surprises.
By the Bid and Study teamMay 20267 min read
The United States is the second most chosen destination for Latin American language students, and in 2025 and 2026 it was also the one with the most moving parts. This article sorts the news into what changes your plan and what does not.
The news, in order
- September 2025: the State Department said students should apply for visas in their country of nationality or residence, ending the habit of interviewing in a third country with a shorter queue.
- Summer 2025: a pause on new student visa interviews caused a 36 per cent drop in issuance compared with the previous summer, and denials rose over the year.
- October 2025: international students were confirmed exempt from the new H-1B work visa fee, which had worried some families.
- November 2025: Open Doors counted 1.17 million international students in 2024/25, a record driven by graduates working on OPT, alongside a decline in new arrivals.
- December 2025: the travel ban was expanded to twenty more countries. No Latin American country is on it.
- May and September 2026: a rule to replace "duration of status" with fixed-term stays for students moved forward, then a judge paused it. Nothing has changed for students yet.
- August 2026: a permanent visa bond scheme was created for visitor visas from certain countries; Latin American countries are not on the list published so far.
- Language schools (IEPs) reported fewer students and weeks in 2025, which means available seats in 2026.
Which visa for a language course
The dividing line in the United States is not the length of the course but its intensity. Up to 18 hours of class a week counts as recreational study and can be done on a visitor status; 18 hours or more requires the F-1 student visa.
- Chile is in the Visa Waiver Program: an ESTA, USD 40 since September 2025, and up to 90 days, with classes under 18 hours a week.
- Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina apply for a B-2 visitor visa (USD 185 application fee; Brazilians also pay a reciprocity fee when the visa is issued). Same limit: under 18 hours a week. Argentina's expected entry into the waiver programme was paused in July 2025.
- Any intensive course, which is what most language schools sell, needs an F-1. The school must be SEVP-certified and issues the I-20 form; you pay the SEVIS fee (USD 350) and the visa application (USD 185), then attend an interview at the consulate in your own country. A visa integrity fee of USD 250 for visas issued from October 2025 was created by law and is being applied at some consulates; check the current instructions of yours.
Work
On an F-1 at a language school you may work on campus up to 20 hours a week if the school offers jobs, and not off campus. Practical training (OPT and CPT) is for degree students. On a visitor status you may not work at all. If earning while you learn is part of your plan, the United States is not the place for it; Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are.
Planning around the queues
- Book the consular interview as soon as you have the I-20; in 2025 waits in some Latin American cities reached months, and summer is the worst season.
- Bring the full financial picture the I-20 estimates: tuition, living costs, health insurance. There is no single national figure; the school's estimate is what the officer checks.
- Apply where you live. A shorter queue in another country no longer helps and can hurt.
- Choose a school accredited by CEA or ACCET and a member of EnglishUSA. When EC English closed in September 2026, that association coordinated placements for its 200 American students within days.
Why it is still worth it
The United States has more accredited language schools than any other country, in more cities and climates, from Miami and San Diego to Boston and Seattle. Prices vary enormously between them, which is exactly the kind of market where asking several schools for an offer pays off. Satisfaction surveys in 2025 still placed American schools at the top for the student experience.
The visa takes longer than it used to. The course, once you are in, is the same one that made the country famous for it.
Sources
- StudyTravel Magazine, news of 26 and 30 September, 28 October, 21 November and 19 December 2025, 17 March, 17 April, 8 and 15 May, 5 June, 11 August and 15 and 18 September 2026 (apply in country of nationality, H-1B exemption, Open Doors, visa issuance and denials, duration of status rule, B-1/B-2 bond scheme, IEP figures).
- US Department of Homeland Security, Study in the States: English language training, accessed September 2026.
- US Department of State, visa fee schedule, and Customs and Border Protection ESTA fee (September 2025), accessed September 2026.
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