VISA INFORMATION
Congratulations! Once you get the acceptance letter and the migration form (SEVIS) from the University where you want to attend, the next step is to handle the Visa as soon as you can at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Important considerations
- Review that all the data in the migration form is correct; pay special attention to the spelling of your name: it must be exactly as it appears on your passport.
- In the meanwhile, you need to pay the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) fee that has been charged since the year 2004. This payment does not replace the Visa fee, but it is necessary to apply for the Visa because the SEVIS is designed to help the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State better monitor school and exchange programs.
- - Make an appointment to get the Visa by calling one of the following numbers: 01-900-849-4949 or 01-477-788-7070. The call has a fee, if you use the first number the cost is charged to your phone bill, but you need to have enabled the 900 numbers; if you use the second number, you can pay by debit or credit card. The appointment usually takes between two weeks and a month from the day that you call to schedule.
- There are three Visa types authorized for those who come to study in U.S.
- The F-1 (non-immigrant) Student Visa is the most common type for students; it is especially for those who want to study at an accredited U.S. university or in an intensive English program.
- The J-1, or Exchange Visitor Visa, is for those students who will be participating in educational or cultural exchange programs.
- The M-1, also a Student Visa, is for those participating in a non-academic program or in vocational studies.
At the time of the appointment
The day of your appointment, make sure you don’t bring sharp objects or other restricted items that could be considered dangerous; even if you carry scissors or a knife, the security offices will ask you to throw them away. Cell phones are not allowed inside the department.
Try to be an hour early for the appointment and be ready for everything; for example, the consuls may start to speak with you in English to prove your English proficiency. Order all the documents as needed; all applicants for student visa must provide:
- The forms required according to your visa type: I-20, Certificate for Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F1); I-20 M-N, Certificate for Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M1); DS 2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status.
- SEVIS fee receipt and an MRV fee receipt to show payment of the visa application fee.
- “E-forms” applications like the Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant, DS-156, and the Form DS-158. In some cases it is also required to complete and sign the Form DS-157.
- Your passport needs to be valid for at least six months after your proposed date of entry into the United States.
- - If you are studying abroad, you also need to show a letter from you International Advisor that proves that you’ll come back to study in your University
Also it is recommended that you prepare other documents, such as:
- Transcripts and diplomas from previous institutions attended.
- Scores from standardized tests like TOEFL or SAT.
- Financial evidence or scholarships; the consuls most of the time take under consideration that you can prove a great amount of financial evidence.
The fact that you already have been accepted by an institution in the U.S doesn’t guarantee that you can get the visa. Last semester, one of my friends that had already been accepted to an art school in North Carolina for study abroad one semester went to the embassy with some problems and the consul rejected her Student Visa: “I got my tourist visa really fast and I thought that getting a student visa was a lot easier… At the meeting they asked me the normal questions, like where do you live, where are you studying, do you have good grades, and stuff like that, but then they asked me for my bank account information (because I was paying the whole trip, not my parents), and I told them the truth, someone stole my money, and they denied my student visa because I wasn’t able to demonstrate that I was going to pay everything.”
Like I said at the beginning, you need to be ready for everything. If you have any problems it is better to cancel your appointment 24 hours in advance, otherwise you will probably experience a long process appealing the results. More information about the visa process is avaliable in the section Important References on this website.