USA Student Visa Application

USA Student Visa Application

Congratulations!!   If you have already come this far, it means that you are very close to fulfilling your dream of studying in the United States.

Surely you have already gone through all these stages:

1. You have obtained your scholarship to study in the United States.
2. You have been admitted to an American university.
3. You have passed both the SAT exam and the TOEFL exam.

If you have already achieved all 3 things, great! You are just one step away from finishing this long process.  So let’s get down to business…

Types of USA Student Visa

There are three types of student visa to study in the United States:

1. F1 visa: granted for academic studies. For example in institutes, universities, conservatories, or language schools. It is also what is needed in case your study course is more than 19 hours a week.
2. M1 visa: for vocational or non-academic education (e.g. pilot).
3. J1 Visa: for exchange programs when studying Baccalaureate in the United States.

Requirements for Student Visa in the USA

When obtaining your student visa, you must meet a series of requirements to study in the United States and have several documents, including:

• Be admitted to an American institute, university, or school recognized by the United States government.
• Be a full-time student in the USA.
• Valid passport to travel to the United States with a validity of at least six months longer than the time you are going to stay in the United States.
• Form I-20 for F1 and M1 visas.
• Form DS-2019 for the J1 visa.

When Can You Apply For A USA Student Visa?

You can apply for your American visa for students in the USA when you meet all the requirements that I have just mentioned above.

How Much Does A Student Visa For The United States Cost?

Obtaining your American student visa for the United States is not free and involves paying two things:

1. A tax of US $ 200 to finance the cost of the computer system used to record your stay in the United States (SEVIS).
2. An additional charge of US $ 160 for a visa application at the United States Embassy or Consulate in your country.

Which in total add up to $ 360.

How to Apply For and Obtain A USA Student Visa

At last! After telling you all the necessary stuff above, we already get fully into the process to get your student visa. The process to obtain the visa includes the following 5 steps:

1. Submission Of Form I-20

Once you have been accepted, your institute or university will send you the I-20 form for the F1 visa or the DS-2019 form.  You must read and sign this form.

2. SEVIS payment

You will have to pay a tax of US $ 220 to finance the cost of the computer system used to record your stay in the United States (SEVIS).

Go to   https://www.fmjfee.com/index.html  to pay the tax and be sure to print a copy of the payment receipt. You must pay the SEVIS tax at least three days before the date of your visa interview.

3. Form DS-160

You will need to fill out a new non-immigrant visa application form: it is form DS-160 that must be completed online.

Once this form is completed, you must print the “confirmation sheet” with the barcode to present it at your appointment at the embassy.

4. Make The Appointment

You must make an appointment with the American embassy in your country. You can also do this online. To find the website of the United States embassy in your country, enter your country on the following page: https://www.usembassy.gov/

You will also have to pay an additional fee for a visa application at the United States Embassy or Consulate in your country, or a bank designated by the Embassy.

You can find specific information on where to pay this cost for your visa application on the website of the United States Embassy in your country.

5. Preparation Of The Appointment At The Embassy

Lastly, once you have the appointment, prepare for your interview to obtain an American student visa. You should bring the following things with you to the interview:

• A hard copy of the appointment.
• Your current passport that is valid for at least six months longer than the time you are going to stay in the US and your previously issued passports.
• The confirmation sheet of form DS-160 with the barcode that you filled out in step number 3.
• Receipts for the payment of the student visa application.
• Form I20 for F1 and M1 visa or DS-2019 form for J1 visa.
• SEVIS receipt.
• Multiple photos.

It is also advisable to bring:

• Financial documents that provide reliable evidence that you have sufficient funds available to pay all your expenses for the first year of study in the United States.
• Academic documents that demonstrate your preparation. These may include your high school transcripts and your SAT and TOEFL test results.

If you have obtained a scholarship, it is also advisable to present all the documentation for it.

What Happens After Applying For A Student Visa?

These are the three situations that can occur:

1. The visa is approved.
2. The visa enters the administrative process.
3. The visa is rejected.

If your student visa is approved, you could already legally enter the United States, although there are 2 things you should keep in mind:

1. You cannot enter the country before 30 days before the program you are going to study begins.
2. When traveling to the United States, you must present your passport with your visa and your I-20 or DS-2019 form at the immigration post.

How Long Is The Student Visa Valid For?

The validity time of American student visas in the USA varies depending on the type of visa:

• F1 visa: duration equal to the estimated time that the study program will take.
• M1 visa: authorized for a maximum of one year.
• J1 Visa: varies between 4 months and 36 months depending on the reason for the exchange.

Conclusion

I hope you have been able to get more information about the USA student visa. Kindly share this article with your colleagues online who might also be information.

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