Apply F1 student visa- What you should know
If you wish to pursue education in any field in the United States of America, you need to know everything about an F1 visa. Obtaining an F1 visa is the first and the most important step required to enter the USA for pursuing further education.
An F1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to foreign students who wish to enroll themselves in an educational institution in the USA. The process to obtain an F1 visa is full of details that require careful attention. In this blog, we will try to highlight all the important documents and the process involved in obtaining an F1 visa along with a few interview tips.
Eligibility requirements to apply for an F1 visa
- You first need to get enrolled in a Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) authorized university or college.
- A strong bond with your home country and no criminal records.
- Financial stability and English Proficiency
Important points to be kept in mind
- You must have been accepted into a SEVP authorized university as a full-time student.
- You must be proficient in English speaking
- You must have sufficient funds to back your stay in the USA.
- You must have a residential address of your home country.
Important Documentations
- An authentic passport with an extended stay duration of up to 6 months.
- Form I-20 issued by the selected college/university. (Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/I-20_Active.pdf)
- Form DS-160 (Non-immigrant application)
- SEVIS Fee receipt
- Passport size photo (recent)
- Bank statement of at least three years.
- ITR of the last two to three years.
- Birth Certificate
- Proof of the Residential Address
- Medical Certificate
- Score sheet of any authorized standardized exam like TOEFL, GMAT, IELTS, etc.
- Academic transcripts, previous degrees or certificates, work experience certificate.
The application process to obtain an F1 visa.
- Get enrolled in a SEVP (Student Exchange Visitor Program) approved college or university.
- After the successful gathering of documents required for the visa, pay the I-901 SEVIS fee of $350. For fee details- https://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901
- Once the required fee is paid and the confirmation page is received, form I-20 is issued by the college. Once form I-20 has been procured from the college or university, you can begin your process for the F1 visa application.
- After fulfilling the above steps, the next step is to apply online for form DS-160. It can be filled and submitted online at this website-https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ )
- After the payment of the required fee, you must schedule an interview with the US Embassy or consulate in your country.
- Once a suitable date and time are fixed, ensure that you have collected all the documents.
- Stay confident and keep all the documents ready along with the academic qualifications/certificates, financial documents, work experience documents, and certificates.
- After successful completion of your process, wait for confirmation from the embassy.
- Once approved, pay the required fee for the issuance of a visa.
- After the F1 student visa has been issued, you are eligible to enter the USA to pursue your course of study.
** It is important to remember that you must keep extra copies of all the documents with yourself for future purposes.
F1 Visa interview
The interviewer’s main purpose behind your interview is to determine whether you are a legitimate student.
Answer all the questions asked in the interview session truthfully and confidently. The interview session will not last long. This interview is to judge the intent of the student and ensure they are qualified to study at the university where they have applied and been accepted. You must carry all the required documents as proof and answer all the questions in a true manner. If for some reason you are denied your visa you can always reapply for another visa interview at a later date.
