 |
"Give the U.S. embassy no excuse to question your academic
standing, and show in as many ways as possible that you will
return home."
— Computer science student from the United Kingdom
To apply for an F-1 student visa, you must have a valid I-20
form; for the J-1 visa, you must have the DS-2019 form; and
for the M-1 visa, an I-20M-N form. Your U.S. university will
send you the appropriate form after you have been admitted
and after you have certified your available finances. When
your form arrives, check the following:
- Is your name spelled correctly and in the same form as
it appears on your passport?
- Is the other information — date and country of birth,
degree program, reporting date, completion date, and financial
information — correct?
- Is the form signed by a university official?
- Has the reporting date ("student must report no later
than…") passed? If so, the form expires and cannot
be used after the reporting date.
If your I-20, I-20M-N, or DS-2019 is valid, you are ready
to apply for the visa.
If you are required to attend a visa interview, be aware
that they usually last an average of three minutes, so you
must be prepared to be brief yet convincing. Be confident,
do not hide the truth, or lie — U.S. consular section
staff have a lot of experience and can easily identify when
people are not being truthful about their visa application.
In order to issue your visa, the consular officer must be
satisfied on three counts:
- First, are you a bona fide student? The officer will look
at your educational background and plans in order to assess
how likely you are to enroll and remain in college until
graduation. If you are required to have an interview, be
prepared to discuss the reasons you chose a particular college,
your anticipated major, and your career plans. Bring school
transcripts, national examination results, and SAT or TOEFL
scores (if these tests were required by your college), and
anything else that demonstrates your academic commitment.
- Second, are you capable of financing your education, your
living expenses, and the expenses of any dependents who
may be traveling with you? The U.S. government needs assurances
that you will not drop out of school or take a job illegally.
Your I-20 or DS-2019 form will list how you have shown the
university you will cover your expenses (and those of any
family members who will accompany you), at least for the
first year. Provide solid evidence of any scholarships,
grants, or loans you have been awarded, and of your sponsor's
finances, especially sources and amounts of income.
If you are being sponsored by your family or by an individual,
how can you show that your sponsor is able to finance your
education? Your chances are improved if your parents are sponsoring
your education. If anyone other than your parents is sponsoring
you, you should explain your special relationship with this
person, justifying a commitment of thousands of dollars to
your education.
Provide solid evidence of your sponsor's finances, especially
sources and amounts of income. This assures the consular officer
that adequate funds will be available throughout your four-year
college program. If your sponsor's income is from several
different sources (such as salary, contracts, consulting fees,
a farm, rental property, investments), have the sponsor write
a letter listing and documenting each source of income.
- Third, are your ties to home so strong that you will not
want to remain permanently in the United States? Under U.S.
law, all applicants for nonimmigrant visas are viewed as
intending immigrants until they can convince the consular
officer that they are not. Note that if you are traveling
on a J-1 visa, a two-year rule usually applies, whereby
after you have finished your studies in the United States
you cannot apply for an immigrant visa for the United States
until you have spent two years back in your home country.
Overall you must be able to show that your reasons for returning
home are stronger than those for remaining in the United States.
The law states that you must demonstrate sufficient economic,
family, and social ties to your place of residence to ensure
that your stay in the United States will be temporary.
Economic ties include your family's economic position, property
you may own or stand to inherit, and your own economic potential
when you come home with a U.S. education The consular officer
will be impressed to see evidence of your career planning
and your knowledge of the local employment scene.
For family and social ties, the consular officer may ask
how many close family members live in your home country, compared
to those living in the United States. What community or school
activities have you participated in that demonstrate a sincere
connection to your town or country? What leadership, sports,
and other roles have distinguished you as a person who wants
to come home and contribute your part?
For family and social ties, the consular officer may ask
how many close family members live in your home country, compared
to how many live in the United States. What community activities
have you participated in that demonstrate a sincere connection
to your town or country? What leadership, sports, work, or
academic experience indicates that you are someone who wants
to come home and contribute your part?
For more information on applying for a student visa, please
go to http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/student_application.html.
Back to the top
|
|
