If you are not a US citizen and wish to study in the United States, you will need to apply for a student visa. Applying for a student visa in the United States may take a long time, so start planning ahead of time—at least three to five months before your course begins. When applying for a student visa in the United States, there are normally numerous processes. Because the procedures at each US embassy or consulate are different, it’s important to check the rules on the embassy or consulate’s website before applying.
When applying for a student visa in the United States, prospective students will go through five stages:
Apply to and be accepted by a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-approved school in the United States (six to twelve months before beginning studies in the United States);
- Pay the SEVIS fee (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System):
- Fill out an application for a student visa in the United States and include a recent picture;
- Make an appointment for a visa interview and show up.
- Continue reading for more information on each of these five processes.
1. Submit an application to a SEVP-approved institution
As an international student, you should pick a school and programme that is accredited by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program of the United States government (SEVP).
Accreditation is vital because it guarantees that your degree, professional groups, businesses, and government departments all around the globe. Only SEVP-approved schools are able to enroll students in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and provide you with the paperwork you’ll need to apply for a student visa in the United States. To find recognised colleges, go to the government’s Study in the States webpage.
The United States, unlike some other nations, does not have a centralized university application system; therefore, you will need to apply to each school independently. You’ll need to meet the admissions standards of each college, and you’ll almost certainly be asked to provide evidence of adequate financial means.
When you are accepted by a university, you will be enrolled in the SEVIS system and issued a SEVIS-generated document called Form I-20 if you are eligible for a F or M visa, or Form DS-2019 if you are eligible for a J visa.
The SEVP is in charge of foreign students with F and M visas, while the Department of State is in charge of exchange visitor program and international students visas.
Read more: How to get student visa?
2. Pay the application fee for SEVIS
The SEVIS fee must be paid at least three days before you submit an application for a US visa. To pay the charge, you must fill out either an online or paper form. Both are present in the SEVP website of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Make sure to fill out your I-20 or DS-2019 form with all of the information that is on it.
At the time of writing, the I-901 cost is $200 for F/M visa holders and $180 for J student visa holders. Instead, J visa holders who work as camp counsellors, au pairs, or in summer employment or travel must pay $35. The page describes how to make payments using various methods such as debit or credit cards, checks, foreign money orders, and Western Union Quick Pay. If you want to check on the progress of your payment after you’ve paid the charge. Then you may do so on the website. You may also have a third party (such as your sponsor) pay the charge on your behalf. You should get a receipt from the third party that paid the charge on your behalf.
After you’ve completed your purchase, you may get and print a payment confirmation from the website at any time. This confirmation should be there as evidence of fee payment during your US student visa interview. If you modify your non-immigrant status or seek any other US immigration benefits.
3. Apply for a student visa to study in the United States
You may schedule an appointment with a US consulate or embassy in your country to apply for a US student visa after you have received your SEVIS form and paid the SEVIS fee. Because visa processing periods might vary, it’s advisable to apply as soon as possible. Adittionaly, regardless of when your programme is set to begin. Your visa may be approved up to 120 days before your scheduled arrival in the United States.
Most nations have their own specific websites for everything related to applying for a student visa in the United States. If your country is not on this list, you can still use the US embassy’s website to find the US embassy or consulate in your country.
In every scenario, you’ll need to fill out the DS-160 online visa application form. You must first choose the place from where you intend to apply and verify that you have all of the necessary papers and information to complete the application. You’ll get to the form’s pages after choosing and answering a security question. Your application ID will be there. If you need to quit the program and return later, you’ll need this ID to recover your form.
The following personal information is necessary to complete the DS-160 form:
- Name and birthday
- Address and phone number
- Passport information
- Details about your vacation intentions, as well as your travel companions,
- Information on prior trips to the United States:
- In the United States, your point of contact in
- Details about your family, job, and education.
- Information about security, background, and medical health
SEVIS ID and the address of the US school or program you want to attend (as printed on the I-20 or DS-2019 form)
You must also provide a current picture of yourself in the format specified in the image criteria. If your picture upload fails, you’ll need to provide a printed photo for your visa interview that fits the standards.
If you answer any of the questions incorrectly or completely, you need to reschedule your visa interview session. Furthermore, If you have any questions when filling out the application form, you may look up answers on the travel.state.gov website.
After you’ve finished the visa application form, click the “Sign Application” option at the bottom to electronically sign your DS-160. You’ll get a confirmation page with a barcode, barcode number, and your application ID number after the submission. Moroever, that you’ll need to print and bring to your visa interview session. It is not necessary to print the whole application.
Conclusion
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