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Visa Services |
Overview
If you are going to the U.S. primarily for
tourism, but want to take a short course of study
of less than 18 hours per week, you may be able
to do so do so on a tourist visa. You should inquire
at the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If
your course of study is more than 18 hours a week,
you will need a student visa. Please read this information
for general information on how to apply for an F1
or M1 student visa.
In most countries, first time student visa applicants
are required to appear for an in-person interview.
However, each embassy and consulate sets its own
interview policies and procedures regarding student
visas. Students should consult Embassy web sites
or call for specific application instructions.
Keep in mind that June, July, and August are the
busiest months in most consular sections, and
interview appointments are the most difficult
to get during that period. Students need to plan
ahead to avoid having to make repeat visits to
the Embassy. To the extent possible, students
should bring the documents suggested below, as
well as any other documents that might help establish
their ties to the local community.
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Changes introduced shortly after September 11, 2001 involve
extensive and ongoing review of visa issuing practices
as they relate to our national security. It is important
to apply for your visa well in advance of your travel
departure date. When Do I Need
to Apply for My Student Visa?
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Students are encouraged to apply
for their visa early to provide ample time for
visa processing. Students may apply for their
visa as soon as they are prepared to do so. |
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The consular officer
may need to get special clearances depending on
the course of study and nationality of the student.
This can take some additional time. |
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Students should note that Embassies
and Consulates are able to issue your student
visa 90 days or less, in advance of the course
of study registration date. If you apply for your
visa more than 90 days prior to your start date
or registration date as provided on the Form I-20,
the Embassy or Consulate will hold your application
until it is able to issue the visa. Consular officials
will use that extra time to accomplish any of
the necessary special clearances or other processes
that may be required. |
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Students are advised of the Department
of Homeland Security regulation which requires
that all initial or beginning students enter the
U.S. 30 days or less in advance of the course
of study start/report date as shown on the Form
I-20. Please consider this date carefully when
making travel plans to the U.S. |
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A student who wants an earlier entry
in to the U.S. (more than 30 days prior to the course
start date), must qualify for, and obtain a visitor
visa. A prospective student notation will be shown
on his/her visitor visa and the traveler will need
to make the intent to study clear to the U.S. immigration
inspector at port of entry. Before beginning any
studies, he or she must obtain a change of classification,
filing Form I-506, Application for Change of Nonimmigrant
Status, and also submit the required Form I-20 to
the Department of Homeland Security office where
the application is made. Please be aware that there
is an additional fee of $140 for this process, and
that one may not begin studies until the change
of classification is approved. |
What is Needed to Apply for a Student Visa?
It is important to remember
that applying early and providing the requested
documents does not guarantee that the student
will receive a visa. Also, because each student's
personal and academic situation is different,
two students applying for same visa may be asked
different questions and be required to submit
different documents. For that reason, the guidelines
that follow are general and can be abridged or
expanded by consular officers overseas, depending
on each student's situation.
All applicants for a student visa must provide:
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A Form I-20 obtained from a U.S.
college, school or university. Please be sure to
give us all four pages of the I-20 form. The form
must also be signed by you and by a school official
in the appropriate places. |
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An application Form DS-156, together
with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed
and signed. Male applicants will also be required
to complete and sign Form DS-157. A separate form
is needed for children, even if they are included
in a parent's passport. Blank forms are available
without charge at all U.S. consular offices and
on the Visa Services website
under Visa Application Forms. |
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A passport valid for at least
six months after your proposed date of entry into
the United States; |
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A receipt for visa processing fee.
A receipt showing payment of the visa application
fee for each applicant, including each child listed
in a parent's passport who is also applying for
a U.S. visa, is needed. |
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be prepared to provide: |
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Transcripts and original diplomas
from previous institutions attended; |
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Scores from standardized tests required
by the educational institution such as the TOEFL,
SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc. |
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Financial evidence that shows
you or your parents who are sponsoring you have
sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living
expenses during the period of your intended study.
For example, if you or your sponsor is a salaried
employee, please bring income tax documents and
original bank books and/or statements. If you
or your sponsor own a business, please bring business
registration, licenses, etc., and tax documents,
as well as original bank books and/or statements.
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| Applicants with dependents
must also provide: |
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Proof of the student's relationship
to his/her spouse and/or children (e.g., marriage
and birth certificates). |
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It is preferred that families
apply for F-1 and F-2 visas at the same time,
but if the spouse and children must apply separately
at a later time, they should bring a copy of the
student visa holder's passport and visa, along
with all other required documents. |
What
Items Does a Returning Student Need?
All applicants applying for renewals must submit:
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A passport valid for at least six
months. |
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An application Form DS-156, together
with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed
and signed. Male applicants will also be required
to complete and sign Form DS-157. Blank forms are
available without charge at all U.S. consular offices
and on the Visa Services website under Visa Applications
Forms. |
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A receipt for visa processing fee.
A receipt showing payment of the visa application
fee for each applicant, including each child listed
in a parent's passport who is also applying for
a U.S. visa, is needed. |
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A new I-20 or an I-20 that has been
endorsed on the back by a school official within
the past 12 months. |
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for renewals should be prepared to submit. |
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A certified copy of your grades
from the school in which you are enrolled. |
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Financial documents from you or
your sponsor, showing your ability to cover the
cost of your schooling. |
How long may I stay on my F-1 student visa?
When you enter the United States
on a student visa, you will usually be admitted
for the duration of your student status. That
means you may stay as long as you are a full time
student, even if the F-1 visa in your passport
expires while you are in America. For a student
who has completed the course of studies shown
on the I-20, and any authorized practical training,
the student is allowed the following additional
time in the U.S. before departure: |
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F-1 student - An additional 60
days, to prepare for departure from the U.S. or
to transfer to another school. |
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M-1 student - An additional 30
days to depart the U.S. (Fixed time period, in
total not to exceed one year). The 30 days to
prepare for departure is permitted as long as
the student maintained a full course of study
and maintained status. An M student may receive
extensions up to three years for the total program.
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As an example regarding duration of status, if
you have a visa that is valid for five years that
will expire on January 1, 2001, and you are admitted
into the U.S. for the duration of your studies
(often abbreviated in your passport or on your
I-94 card as "D/S"), you may stay in
the U.S. as long as you are a full time student.
Even if January 1, 2001 passes and your visa expires
while in America, you will still be in legal student
status. However, if you depart the U.S. with an
expired visa, you will need to obtain a new one
before being able to return to America and resume
your studies. A student visa cannot be renewed
or re-issued in the United States; it must be
done at an Embassy or Consulate abroad.
Public School
There are certain restrictions on attending
public school in the U.S. Persons who violate
these restrictions may not receive another visa
for a period of five years.
The restrictions apply only to students holding
F-1 visas. They do not apply to students attending
public school on derivative visas, such as F-2,
J-2 or H-4 visas. The restrictions also do not
apply to students attending private schools
on F-1 visas.
The restrictions are: |
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Students who attend public high
schools in the U.S. are limited to twelve months
of study. Public school attendance in the U.S.
prior to November 30, 1996 does not count toward
this limit. |
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F-1 visas can no longer be issued
to attend public elementary or middle schools
(Kindergarten - 8th grade) or publicly-funded
adult education programs. |
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Before an F-1 visa for a public
school can be issued, the student must show that
the public school in the U.S. has been reimbursed
for the full, unsubsidized per capita cost of
the education as calculated by the school. Reimbursement
may be indicated on the I-20. Consular officers
may request copies of canceled checks and/or receipts
confirming the payment as needed. |
Background Requirements to study in elementary
or secondary schools in the US:
Changes
in U.S. immigration law, effective November 30,
1996, require that no alien may be issued an F-1
visa to attend a U.S. public elementary or middle
school (K-8). Any alien who wishes to attend public
high school (grades 9-12) in the United States
in student visa (F-1) status must submit evidence
that the local school district has been reimbursed
in advance for the unsubsidized per capita cost
of the education. Also, attendance at U.S. public
high schools cannot exceed a total of 12 months.
Please note that these changes do not affect other
visa categories such as the J-1 exchange visitor
program or the qualified school-age child of an
alien who holds another type of nonimmigrant visa
(i.e., A, E, H, I, L, etc.). No
alien may be issued an F-1 visa in order to
attend a publicly-funded adult education program.
Scholastic Preparation
The student visa applicant must have successfully
completed a course of study normally required
for enrollment. The student, unless coming to
participate exclusively in an English language
training program, must either be sufficiently
proficient in English to pursue the intended
course of study, or the school must have made
special arrangements for English language courses
or teach the course in the student's native
language.
Financial Resources
Applicants must also prove that sufficient
funds are or will be available from an identified
and reliable financial source to defray all
living and school expenses during the entire
period of anticipated study in the United States.
Specifically, applicants must prove they have
enough readily available funds to meet all expenses
for the first year of study, and that adequate
funds will be available for each subsequent
year of study. The M-1 student visa applicants
must have evidence that sufficient funds are
immediately available to pay all tuition and
living costs for the entire period of intended
stay.
Acceptance Form
An applicant coming to the United States to
study must be accepted for a full course of
study by an educational institution approved
by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services in the Department of Homeland Security
(BCIS).
The institution must send to the
applicant a Form I-20A-B, Certificate of Eligibility
for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status for Academic
and Language Students. The nonacademic or vocational
institution must send to the student a Form
I-20M-N, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant
(M-1) Student Status For Vocational Students.
Educational institutions obtain Forms I-20A-B
and I-20M-N from the BCIS.
Visa ineligibility /
Waiver
The nonimmigrant visa application Form DS-156
lists classes of persons who are ineligible
under U.S. law to receive visas. In some instances
an applicant who is ineligible, but who is otherwise
properly classifiable as a student, may apply
for a waiver of ineligibility and be issued
a visa if the waiver is approved.
General Visa Requirements
As you begin to think about funding sources
for your educational and living expenses in
the United States, remember that you cannot
count on working in the United States unless
you have been granted a teaching or research
assistantship. When you submit evidence of your
financial resources, you cannot rely on potential
income.
The income on which you base your application
must be assured and must be equal to or exceed
the costs of the first year of your studies.
Immigration regulations are very strict with
respect to working while carrying a student
visa. F-1 status, which is the most common status
for full-time international students, allows
for part time, on-campus employment (fewer than
20 hours per week.)
Jobs available on campus typically do not pay
much, certainly not enough to finance a university
education. Do not count on this kind of a job
for anything more than a supplement to other
funds.
J-1 student status allows for similar employment,
with similar restrictions, as long as permission
is given by the exchange visitor program sponsor.
The "F" visa is for academic studies,
and the "M" visa is for nonacademic
or vocational studies. M-1 visa holders for
technical and vocational programs are not permitted
to work during the course of their studies.
The M-1 student visa applicants must have evidence
that sufficient funds are immediately available
to pay all tuition and living costs for the
entire period of intended stay.
Careful long- and short-term planning is necessary
to ensure that you will have a rewarding educational
experience in the United States. If you are
realistic about your financial needs, you will
be better able to enjoy the exciting academic
and cultural experience of living and learning
in the United States.
Visa and Immigration
Center
There are three types of Student visas:
F1 - An F1 visa is issued to student who are
attending and academic program or English Language
Program. F-1 students must maintain the minimum
course load for full-time student status. They
can remain in the US up to 60 days beyond the
length of time it takes to complete their academic
program. They are expected to complete their
studies by the expiration date on the I-20 form
(Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant
Student Status).
F1 Visa Requirements
In order to qualify, applicants need to satisfy
several strict criteria:
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Must have a foreign residence
and must intend to return there upon completion
of studies. |
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Can only study at the academic
institution through which the visa was granted. |
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Must have sufficient financial
support. |
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Must have strong ties to
home country (e.g. job offer letter upon
completion of studies, assets, bank accounts,
and family). |
It may be possible to convert this
visa to a temporary work visa upon completion
of applicant's studies. Spouses and minor children
obtain F-2 visa status and are not authorized
to work in the U.S.
J1 - A J1 visa is issued to a student who needs
to obtain practical training, which is not available
in their home country, to complete their academic
program.
J1 Visa Requirements
This visa enables applicants to enter the U.S.
to participate in an Exchange Visitor Program.
It may be an option for trainees, students, professors,
or research scholars, physicians and summer students
in travel/work programs. The period of stay differs
according to the different categories. Spouses
of J-1 applicants may be employed provided employment
is not for the support of the J-1 and the spouse
is not a J-1 visa holder themselves. Employment
may be authorized for the duration of the J-1
validity or 4 years, whichever is shorter.
M1 - An M1 visa is issued to a student who is
going to attend a non-academic or vocational school.
M1 Visa Requirements
You cannot enter as an M1 to just study "generally";
your program must have a goal and you must be
involved in a "full course of study".
A full course of study means study in a community
or junior college, with at least 12 semester or
quarter hours. It must be in a school where anyone
attending for at least 12 semester or quarter
hours is charged full tuition, or considered full-time.
The only exception is where you need a smaller
course-load to complete your course of study.
It can also mean study at a post secondary vocational
or business school which grants Associate or other
degrees. Alternatively, if a school can demonstrate
that its credits are, or have been, accepted unconditionally
by at least 3 institutions of higher learning
it can qualify. If that is not possible, study
in a vocational or nonacademic curriculum, certified
by a DSO to require at least 18 hours of weekly
attendance or at least 22 clock hours a week (if
most of your studies are in a shop or lab). If
that is not possible, the last option is study
in a vocational or nonacademic high school curriculum
which is certified by a DSO to require class attendance
for not less than the minimum required for normal
progress towards graduation.
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WHAT CONSULS LOOK FOR |
Evidence of Residence Abroad
The consular officer may not
issue a student visa unless satisfied that the
applicant:
 has
a residence abroad,
has
no intention of abandoning that residence, and
intends
to depart from the United States upon completion
of the course of study.
Applicants generally establish their ties abroad
by presenting evidence of economic, social, and/or
family ties in their homeland sufficient to induce
them to leave the United States upon the completion
of studies.
Evidence of English Proficiency
If the alien's Form I-20 indicates
that proficiency in English is required for pursuing
the selected course of study and that no arrangements
have been made to overcome any English-language
deficiency, the consular officer must determine
whether the alien has the necessary proficiency.
To this end, the officer must conduct the visa
interview in English and may require the applicant
to read aloud from an English-language book, periodical,
or newspaper, and to restate in English in the
applicant's own words what was read. The applicant
may also be asked to read aloud and explain several
of the conditions set forth in the Form I-20.
In the event that the applicant's
language proficiency appears marginal, the officer
may refer the applicant for language testing.
Tests for this purpose will ordinarily be carried
out by appropriate local groups, such as qualified
host-country facilities. If the latter are used,
the consular officer should be satisfied that
the testing standards are sufficiently strict.
However, if the local situation requires the consular
officer to determine the language proficiency
of applicants, materials such as the Test of English
Language Proficiency (TEPL) may be available at
the post. If not, they may be requested from the
Department, through the post's Public Affairs
Officer.
Determining Financial
Status of F-1 and M-1 Students
F-1 Student
The phrase "sufficient
funds to cover expenses" referred to in 41.61(b)(2)
REGS/STATS means the applicant must establish
the unlikelihood of either becoming a public charge
as defined in INA 212(a)(4) or of resorting to
unauthorized U.S. employment for financial support.
An applicant must provide documentary evidence
that sufficient funds are, or will be, available
to defray all expenses during the entire period
of anticipated study. This does not mean that
the applicant must have cash immediately available
to cover the entire period of intended study,
which may last several years. The consular officer
must, however, require credible documentary evidence
that the applicant has enough readily available
funds to meet all expenses for the first year
of study. The officer also must be satisfied that,
barring unforeseen circumstances, adequate funds
will be available for each subsequent year of
study from the same source or from one or more
other specifically identified and reliable financial
sources.
M-1 Student
All applicants for M-1 visas must present evidence
that they have immediately available to them funds
or assurances of support necessary to pay all
tuition and living costs for the entire period
of intended stay. Additionally, consular officers
are authorized, at their discretion, to require
evidence of payment of round trip transportation
in advance of the alien's travel to the United
States.
Funds From Source(s)
Outside the United States
Whenever an applicant indicates financial support
from a source outside the United States (for example,
from parents living in the country of origin),
the consular officer must determine whether there
are restrictions on the transfer of funds from
the country concerned. If so, the consular officer
must require acceptable evidence that these restrictions
will not prevent the funds from being made available
during the period of the applicant's projected
stay in the United States.
Affidavits of Support
or Other Assurances by an Interested Party
Various factors are important in evaluating assurances
of financial support by interested parties:
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Financial support to a student is not a
mere formality to facilitate the applicant's
entry into the United States, nor does it
pertain only when the alien cannot otherwise
provide adequate personal support. Rather,
the sponsor must ensure that the applicant
will not become a public charge or be compelled
to take unauthorized employment while studying
in the United States. This obligation commences
when the alien enters the United States and
continues until the alien's departure. |
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The consular officer must require documentary
evidence to resolve any doubt that the financial
status of the person giving the assurance
is sufficient to substantiate the assertion
that financial support is available to the
applicant. |
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If the person giving the assurance is in
the United States in nonimmigrant status,
the consular officer must examine the evidence
presented with exceptional care. Is the sponsor's
financial situation sufficient to provide
the funds without need to resort to unauthorized
employment? Is it likely to worsen during
the period of the commitment, possibly compelling
the applicant or the sponsor to resort to
unauthorized employment? Will the nonimmigrant
sponsor remain in the United States at least
as long as the student? |
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The consular officer must also carefully
evaluate the factors which would motivate
a sponsor to honor a commitment of financial
support. If the sponsor is a close relative
of the applicant, there may be a greater probability
that the commitment will be honored than if
the sponsor is not a relative. Regardless
of the relationship, the consular officer
must be satisfied that the reasons prompting
the offer of financial support make it likely
the commitment will be fulfilled. |
Funds
From Fellowships and Scholarships for F-1
Student
A college or university
may arrange for a nonimmigrant student to
engage in research projects, give lectures,
or perform other academic functions as part
of a fellowship, scholarship or assistantship
grant, provided the institution certifies
that the student will also pursue a full course
of study.
Educational
Qualifications for F-1 and M-1 Students
Consular officers are not expected to assume
the role of guidance counselors to determine
whether an applicant for an F-1 or M-1 visa
is qualified to pursue the desired course
of study. The institution will satisfy itself
on the student's abilities before accepting
the applicant for enrollment. Consular officers
should, however, be alert to three specific
factors in this regard: |
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the applicant has successfully completed
a course of study equivalent to that normally
required of an American student seeking enrollment
at the same level. |
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cases in which an applicant has submitted
forged or altered transcripts of previous
or related study or training which the institution
has accepted as valid, and, |
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cases in which an institution has accepted
an applicant's alleged previous course of
study or training as the equivalent of its
normal requirements when, in fact, such is
not the case. |
Relationship of Education or Training Sought
To Existence of Ties Abroad
The
fact that a student's proposed education or
training would not appear to be useful in
the homeland is not, in itself, a basis for
refusing an F-1 or M-1 visa. It may, however,
be a relevant factor in the overall assessment
of the likelihood of the alien's return. This
may be particularly true where F-1 coursework
is advanced far beyond local needs or in certain
M-1 cases. If an M-1 student wants to pursue
a vocation that does not (and for the likely
future will not) exist in the homeland, the
prospect of his/her voluntary departure from
the United States is diminished unless the
applicant can show the intention to work elsewhere
abroad following the training. |
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