7 STEPS to getting a F-1 Student Visa to Study in U.S. -
#1 Get an Admit -
Before applying for a visa, all student visa applicants are required to be accepted and approved by their SEVP-certified school or program.
You need to complete the following steps as pre-requisites to get admit(s) to the Institutes of your choice:
- Fill the Online Applications required by the Institutes of your choice
- Pay the applicable Application processing fee to the Institutes individually
- SOP & a Cover Letter stating why you should be granted admission in your institution of choice.
- A copy of your current passport (Notarized Photocopy)
- Financial Aid or Scholarship Requests through E-mails or by simple mail
- Senior Secondary School (10th Standard) Mark Sheet (Notarized Photocopy)
- High School (12th Standard) Mark Sheet (Notarized Photocopy)
- Diploma Certificate (if you have a Diploma) (Notarized Photocopy)
- Bachelors' and Masters' Final Degree Certificate(s) (Notarized Photocopy)
(if you have completed any of these degrees) - Mark Sheets and Transcripts from all the Colleges you have attended (Notarized Photocopies)
(keep an extra officially signed and sealed set of transcripts, as they are required to be submitted to your FINAL University by simple mail or manually) - Standardized Tests Score from SAT/GRE/GMAT
- English Proficiency Test Score from TOEFL/IELTS
- Letter(s) of Recommendation (LOR's) from your Professor(s) &/or your Employer(s) (submitted online or through simple mail)
(signed and sealed copies are required if the LOR's are to be submitted by simple mail) - Resume/CV
- Training and Experience Certificates (if any).
- Declaration of Financial Support through a Proof of Finances Form and Affidavit(s) of Support from your sponsor(s)
#2 Get your I-20 -
- Once accepted, educational institutions will provide each applicant the necessary approval documentation to be submitted when applying for a student visa.
- It may take several weeks for your VISA to get approved, the US embassy may also want to verify the information you give them, so apply as early as possible.
- You can book your Visa Interview, "at most" 120 days (4 months) BEFORE the start of your education program in the US.
- You can schedule an emergency Visa Interview "at most" 60 days (2 months) BEFORE the start of your education program in the US.
- You can travel to the US "at most" 30 days (1 month) BEFORE the start date of your program, as printed on your I-20 Form.
- The SEVIS version of Form I-20 and the DS-2019, each bear a bar code.
- F-1 students receive Form I-20-B/Form I-20ID. Form I-20 must be endorsed by the school’s Designated School Official (DSO) to demonstrate that the student is in good standing and is approved for travel.
- J-1 visitors receive Form DS-2019, which must be endorsed by the exchange program’s Responsible Officer (RO) or Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) to demonstrate that the exchange visitor is in good standing and is valid for travel.
- Dependents will receive their own copies of Form I-20 or DS-2019.
- If you will be participating in a J-1 internship or training program, you must also obtain a completed Form DS-7002, a training/internship placement plan, from your program sponsor.
- Form DS-7002 describes the training program or internship in detail and is signed by you, by the organization that will be hosting you as a trainee or intern, and the organization that is sponsoring the training program or internship.
- It is completed before your DS-2019 certificate of eligibility is issued. You must present a completed and signed copy of Form DS-2007 with your visa application or, if you are visa-exempt, to an immigration officer at the border.
- All schools and exchange programs are required to enter data on foreign students and exchange visitors in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
- SEVIS is a tracking and database system used to monitor and collect data on foreign students and exchange visitors, to ensure their entry to and exit from the United States and their proper participation in educational or exchange programs.
- Schools must also use the system to generate Form I-20 Certificates of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status and Form DS-2019 Certificates of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status.
- Foreign nationals seeking status in the F-1, F-3, M-1 or M-3 student categories are assessed a $350 fee, as of June 24, 2019. Most J-1 exchange visitors are similarly subject to a $200 fee.
- Individuals in certain federally sponsored exchange programs are exempt from the fee, as are spouses and dependents in the F-2, J-2 and M-2 categories. F, J, and M nonimmigrants applying for a visa to return to the United States as a continuing student or exchange visitor are also fee-exempt.
- You may pay the fee on your own behalf, but the Department of Homeland Security also accepts fees paid for you by your school, exchange program, a relative, friend or other interested party.
- The SEVIS fee must be paid either electronically by going to fmjfee.com or by mail, using DHS Form I-901 so that it arrives at the Department of Homeland Security at least three business days before your scheduled visa interview or, if you are visa-exempt, before an application for admission at a U.S. port of entry, in order for the consular or border officer to verify that payment has been made.
- Select "Form I-20" as per your requirement. Click on Next.
- If you choose to pay by check, money order, or Western Union Quick Pay, you must be able to print the Form I‑901 payment coupon when you complete the form online.
- Now, on the new page enter your Name, Date of Birth and the SEVIS Identification number listed on your I-20.
- Pay the $200 or $350 I‑901 (SEVIS) Fee.
- Print the Payment Confirmation for your records. Reference the confirmation number on all inquiries related to your I‑901 status. You may be required to produce your payment confirmation for your visa issuance, admission to any United States port of entry, for any change of non‑immigrant status, or other United States immigration benefits.
- If Form I-901 is submitted by mail, the fee must be paid by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. currency. Note that many foreign banks are able to issue checks or money orders drawn on U.S. banks.
- In most cases, the consular or immigration officer will electronically verify that you have paid the fee, DHS has acknowledged that some consulates may not have immediately have access to electronic fee verification.
- Where electronic verification is not available, the receipt printout will be the primary means of fee verification.
- If you are applying for a change of status to F, M or J, you are not required to submit the confirmation with your application, since the adjudicating officer will verify your payment electronically through SEVIS.
- Your school or exchange program sponsor must enter your database record into SEVIS in order for verification to take place.
- During adjudication of your visa application, the consular officer will consult the SEVIS database to verify your status as an exchange visitor or student.
- There may be a delay between the time that your school or exchange program sponsor enters your information into SEVIS and the time the information becomes available for viewing by the consular officer, with the result that the officer may not be able to immediately issue the F, M or J visa.
- In order to alleviate visa issuance problems resulting from the time lag, the Department of Homeland Security has established a correction mechanism for situations in which a SEVIS record does not appear at a consular post until after the prospective student or exchange visitor has applied for a visa.
- Your sponsoring institution is instructed to send an e-mail to the government’s SEVIS help desk. The email must contain the subject line: “SEVIS Record Not Found in Consular System.” The body of the message should contain only the following: (1) your last name and first name; (2) your SEVIS record number (N#); (3) your visa category; (4) the date that your record was entered into SEVIS; and (5) the date of your visa application.
- The SEVIS Help Desk should communicate with the consular post regarding fixing the error within two days.
#4 Fill the DS-160 Form -
#5 Pay the Visa (MRV) Fee -
#6 Schedule VISA Appointements -
#7 Collect you VISA -
Lastly; Before you leave your home country -
- It can be very expensive to transport a lot of belongings.
- It is better to buy what you need in the US.
- If you decide to send your belongings separately, your main options are by boat and by air.
- Shipping items by boat takes longer but is also about half the cost of sending them by air.
Allow 8 weeks for items to arrive by boat, or one or two weeks for items shipped by air. - Let the international student advisor know about your travel plans and expected arrival date. Likewise, give your family members who are staying behind your contact information in the United States.
- Find out about any income tax filing requirements for your home country before you leave. If your parents or guardian will not be handling your financial affairs in your absence, arrange for an appropriate 'power of attorney' for the person who will be taking care of your affairs. Likewise, you may need to arrange for absentee voting for elections while you are in the US.
- Visit your doctor and dentist before you leave. Tell your doctor about your trip, so he or she can give you any required inoculations.
- Also arrange for an eye examination, so you can carry an up-to-date prescription in case you need to replace your glasses or contact lenses.
- Reconfirm your reservations 72 hours before departure, and to arrive at the airport early.
- It is forbidden to bring perishable foodstuffs, such as fruit, vegetables, and meat, or plants into the US. Also forbidden are articles made from certain protected species of animals.
Finally you can travel to USA!
INFOGRAPHIC- Getting a F-1 Student Visa to Study in U.S. -
http://www.ustraveldocs.com
https://fmjfee.com/i901fee/desktop/index.jsp?view=desktop
https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/updatedata
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/forms/ds-160--online-nonimmigrant-visa-application/frequently-asked-questions.html
http://www.edupass.org/travel/customs.phtml
http://www.edupass.org/travel/before.phtml
http://www.edupass.org/travel/packing.phtml
https://www.fragomen.com/migrated-sitemap-pages/know-your-obligations.html