Applying for Your Visa

Preparing for the Interview

TSA Requirements

How do I obtain a student visa?
After you receive your I-20 or DS-2019 form, you have to schedule a visa interview at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your country. Please note that the I-20 does not guarantee receipt of an F-1 visa. The local Consular official makes the final decision on whether or not to issue a student visa.

1. Receive I-20 form.  Contact President Mike Kolomichuck.
2. Schedule your visa appointment with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your country.
3. Submit SEVIS fee payment in time to allow Department of Homeland Security to process payment at least 3 days prior to visa interview.
   Students from Canada, please Click Here for information about SEVIS fees.
4. If you paid online, please print SEVIS fee payment receipt and bring it to your visa interview.
5. Go to your visa interview to request a F-1 or J-1 visa (the visa may not be issued right away; many embassies mail the visa to the student a few weeks after the interview).

What is an I-20 form?
When the university admits a student, it sends the student a non-immigration form called the I-20. This form indicates your field of study (major), the length of your course, and the date when you must report to the university. The form I-20 allows a student to apply for a student visa known as the F-1. In some cases the university may issue a DS-2019 form which results in a J-1 student visa. Because the J-1 is not available to most students, mainly the F-1 visa is discussed in the following sections.

• Click here for: What is Needed to Apply for a Student VISA?

• Click here for: Arrival Information Sheet issued by the U.S. Immigration Department on what a student or exchange visitor can expect upon arrival at the U.S.

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Preparing for the Interview

The following information is reference from the Association of International Educators (NAFSA). Contact your local U.S. Embassy to ensure that this is correct BEFORE scheduling your interview!

1. Before Scheduling the Interview:

• Contact the U.S. Embassy in your country to verify all of the proper identifications, letters, forms, and photographs that you will required to have present at your interview.

2. Before the Interview:

• Prepare and bring to your visa interview the following:

  • A passport valid for at least six months
  • Form I-20 (sign the form under Item 11)
  • School admission letter
  • Completed visa applications (DS-156, DS-158, and, if applicable, DS-157)
  • Two 2"x 2" photographs in the prescribed format
  • A receipt for the visa application fee
  • A receipt for the SEVIS fee. If you have not received an official receipt in the mail showing payment and you paid the fee electronically, the consulate will accept the temporary receipt you printed from your computer. If you do not have a receipt, the consulate may be able to see your payment electronically if your fee payment was processed at least 3 business days before your interview.
  • Financial evidence that shows you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period you intend to study.
  • Any information that proves that you will return to your home country after finishing your studies in the United States. This may include proof of property, family, or other ties to your community.

3. During the Interview:

• Remain calm and answer all the Visa Officer's questions to you openly and honestly.