Overview

Foreign nationals must get a valid U.S. visa to enter the United States. A valid United States visa gives foreigners access to the U.S. and allows them stay legally for a period of time.

Foreigners must obtain a student visa to enter the United States for the purpose of studying. The U.S. government offers international students two visa categories for studies. These visa categories include the F1 visa and the M1 visa.

Foreigners who wish to attend a University or College, High School, Elementary School, Seminary, or Conservatory in the U.S. must apply for an F1 visa. An M1 visa covers vocational and other recognized non-academic institutions. This article will cover the F1 visa category in detail.

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As an international student seeking to travel to the United States for studies, it is very important to go for the right visa category to avoid waste of time and financial resources.

Requirements for getting an F1 Visa

To get an F1 student visa, you must meet certain requirements. Below are the requirements that must be met to successfully obtain an F1 student visa.

• SEVP: SEVP is an acronym for Student and Exchange Visitor Program. This program manages overseas students and exchange visitors through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

• • The SEVP has a list of approved schools that meets the standards set by the program. If you are an international student seeking to enter the U.S. for studies, you should go through the SEVP list of approved schools before starting your application..

• Form I-20: The school in the U.S. issues this legal document stating that the student has been admitted into a full-time program and has the financial capacity to live and study in the United States. It is important to note that you must carry this document along with you while going for the visa interview.

• Form DS-160 (Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application)

• Visa fee payment receipt

• Passport Photograph: Your passport photograph must meet some requirements, in order to be accepted. Below you will find all of the requirements;

• • • You must take a colored photo
    • You must seize the photo in such a way that your head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the image’s total height from the bottom of your chin to the top of the head.
    • You must take the photo within the last 6 months
    • You must take the photo in a plain white background or off-white background
    • You must take the photo facing the camera with a full-face view
    • You must take the photo with a natural facial expression
    • You must take the photo in clothing that you normally wear everyday
    • The U.S. consulate generally do not accept uniforms, except for religious clothing worn every day
    • The U.S. consulate do not allow electronic devices
    • You have to take the photo without a hat or head covering that hides the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for religious purpose
    • The U.S. embassy disallows eyeglasses, except when applicants cannot remove them due to medical conditions. For instance if the applicant had just performed a medical surgery and the eyeglasses are necessary to protect the applicant’s eyes.

• • • • In such cases, the applicant must show a medical statement that is signed by a health practitioner to prove such claims. In the case where the United States embassy allows eyeglasses based on medical conditions, the frame of the eyeglasses mustn’t cover the eyes, there must not be glare on eyeglasses that hides the eyes, and there must not be refraction from the eyeglasses that hides the eyes.

• Transcript: You must provide your transcript from your former institution. This requirement is generally for foreign students that had already attended an institution in their home country and wishes to transfer to a school in the United States to complete their undergraduate studies or for foreign students that are seeking to enter the U.S. to pursue their postgraduate degree.

• Standardized Test Score (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, etc.): If you are an international student applying from a non-English speaking country, you are generally required to write and pass an English proficiency test. This test measures your English language ability.

F1 Visa Application Process

The following steps below gives a breakdown of the application process of an F1 Visa. We recommend that you follow these steps to make your visa application process very easy.

• Apply to an SEVP Approved Institution: The first step of an F1 visa application process is to apply to an SEVP approved school. You are required to go through the list of SEVP approved educational providers and the programs they offer.

• • Do not apply to any institution without confirming if it is among the list of SEVP approved institutions to avoid waste of money.

• Get Admitted into an SEVP Approved Institution: After you apply to an SEVP approved institution, the next step is for the institution to admit you. It is very important to note that the institution you applied to completely decides on admitting you. The school uses various criteria to decide whether or not an applicant is qualified to be admitted into the institution.

• Get Admission Document from the SEVP Approved Institution: After the institution admits you, they must complete some processes to enable you apply for an F1 student visa. The institution enters your information into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database.

• • SEVIS processes your information and creates a “pdf” file of Form I-20 titled “Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status” that is sent back to the school. The institution prints and signs the I-20 Form and then sends the form to you. It is very important to know that you cannot proceed with your F1 visa application without this document.

• Apply for F1 Visa through the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application (DS-160) Portal: After you receive the Form I-20 from the institution that gave you admission, the next step is to apply for the F1 visa online using the DS-160 form. We highly recommend that you fill in your correct information as the U.S. government has zero tolerance for fraud.

• Pay the Visa Application Fee: After completing the DS-160 Form, kindly go ahead with the payment of the visa application fee and print the receipt.

• Pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee: After an SEVP approved school admits you, the institution enters your information into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database. In order for this registration to be complete, you have to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

• Schedule your Visa Interview: After completing your online registration through the DS-160 form and paying all the required fees, the next step is to schedule your visa interview at the U.S embassy closest to you in your home country.

• • After you schedule the visa interview, the U.S. consulate will send you an appointment letter containing the interview date. It is very important that you print and keep the appointment letter safe because you will have to show the appointment letter on the day of your interview to gain access to the interview room.

1. Prepare the required Documents: You must prepare the required documents. To increase your chances of getting your F1 visa application approved, you also have to include supporting documents such as your bank’s statement of account, marriage certificate, your children’s birth certificate, landed property documents, etc.

• • If you have a United States sponsor, then your United States sponsor must send you a Form I-134, Affidavit of Support. Also you will submit the bank account statement of your sponsor for the last three years.

• Attend your Visa Interview: This is the last part of an F1 visa application process. The U.S. consulate officers go through thorough training so they can analyse all your documents quickly. Based on the answers you provide to the questions on the application, the consulate officer will decide whether you deserve an F1 visa.

• • Be honest with your answers and do not submit any forged document because it can get you a visa ban.

Cost Implication of applying for an F1 Visa

Below you will find the breakdown of how much it will cost you to apply for an F1 visa.

• Non-refundable F1 Visa Application Fee: This fee is 185 USD but the price can change in the future.

• SEVIS I-901 Fee: The SEVIS I-901 fee is 350 USD.

What are the possible reasons for an F1 Visa denial?

Going through the stress of applying for an F1 student visa and then facing a visa rejection can be very frustrating and demoralizing.

The essence of listing the reasons for a visa rejection is to help you prepare better towards your F1 visa interview.

• Lack of financial capacity.

• Incomplete application

• Lack of Statement of Purpose

• Inconsistent application

• Submitting false information can get you a visa denial

• Late application

• Inadequate English proficiency

• Academic ineligibility

• Suspicious courses or institutions

• Previous immigration violation

• Lack of strong ties to your home country: According to U.S immigration laws, every visa applicant is a potential immigrant, regardless of the type of visa they are applying for.

• • You must prove to the consulate officer that you have strong ties to your home country. You can do that by providing your marriage certificate, children’s birth certificates, employment letter, landed property document. etc.

• Bad Travel History: Visa officers use a database called the Consular Consolidated Database, or ‘CCD”. This database has over 143 million records of U.S. visa applications dating back to the mid-1990s.

• • Through this database visa officers have access to information such as applicant entries and exits from the United States (through a DHS database called Arrival Departure Information System). Now if you have travelled to the United States in the past and over stayed your visa validity period, you are likely to get your new application denied.

• Criminal History

• Immigration Intent: Having an immigration intent can get you a visa denial.

• Poor Interview: If your performance is poor during the interview, you will likely get your visa application denied.

• Health Issues: An applicant that have a deadly and infectious disease will likely get denied.

• Fraudulent Documents: Submitting a fraudulent document will get you a visa ban because the United States government do not take issues of fraud lightly.

F1 Visa Interview Questions

We have listed some of the F1 visa interview questions so that you can prepare ahead of your interview

• Why are you going to the United States?

• Have you been to the United States before and how long did you stay?

• Why should we approve your visa?

• How many universities did you apply to and how many accepted you?

• What is your university of choice?

• Why did you choose this university?

• What are your plans after graduation?

• Why did you choose this course?

• Who is paying for your education?

• What is your sponsor’s occupation?

• Do you have any siblings?

• What are your study plans?

• Do you plan working in the U.S. after graduation?

• Which city is the university located?

• Do your school have professors and what are some of their names?

• What is your financial status?

• Did you get any scholarship?

• How much does your school fees cost and how do you intend covering the cost?

• Have you got any loans and how do you intend paying back?

• Do you have relatives or friends currently residing in the U.S.

• Will you come back home during holidays?