Student
Applicants (for F-1 and M-1 visas) - 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. For
additional student related information, select Guide
to U.S Higher Education to visit the Department of State, Bureau of
Education and Cultural Affairs website to learn about educational opportunities
for undergraduate and graduate study, opportunties for scholars, financial
aid, testing, admissions, and much more.
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.
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?
- 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.
- 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.
For more information on applicants who may have additional processing
requirements see Special
Processing Requirements.
- 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.
- 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.
- A student
who wants to an earlier entry in 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:
- 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;
- An application
Form DS-156, together with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed
and signed. Some 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. The DS-156 must be the February 2003
date, either the electronic "e-form application" or the non-electronic
version. Select Nonimmigrant
Visa Application Form DS-156 to access both versions of the DS-156.
You may also check with the Embassy Consular Section where you will
apply to determine if the hard-copy blank DS-156 form is available,
should you need it.
- A passport valid
for at least six months after your proposed date of entry into the United
States;
- One (1) 2x2 photograph.
See the required photo format explained
in nonimmigrant photograph requirements.
- 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;
All applicants should
be prepared to provide:
- Transcripts and
diplomas from previous institutions attended;
- Scores from standardized
tests required by the educational institution such as the TOEFL, SAT,
GRE, GMAT, etc.;
- 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.
Applicants with dependents must also provide:
- Proof of the student’s
relationship to his/her spouse and/or children (e.g., marriage and birth
certificates.)
- 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:
- A passport valid
for at least six months;
- An application
Form DS-156, together with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed
and signed. Some 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;
- 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;
- A new I-20 or
an I-20 that has been endorsed on the back by a school official within
the past 12 months;
All applicants applying
for renewals should be prepared to submit:
- A certified copy
of your grades from the school in which you are enrolled;
- 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:
- F-1 student -
An additional 60 days, to prepare for departure from the U.S. or to
transfer to another school.
- 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.
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:
- 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.
- F-1 visas can
no longer be issued to attend public elementary or middle schools (Kindergarten
- 8th grade) or publicly-funded adult education programs.
- 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.
April 2003
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