If you are an international student considering pursuing a college education in the United States, you’ll have to get a student visa. This lets you get to the study in USA and be able to stay within the country throughout the period of study in the said academic program. The visa category applicable to students is the F-1 visa, although there are other subcategories of this type of visa depending on the country of origin of the student.
Student visa USA : Requirements
Here are the essential features that a candidate needs to meet so as to secure this crucial document.
Academic Acceptance
The initial phase is to get admission to a SEVP-certified US school of your choice on the basis of merit or scholarship. It can be a university, a college, a high school, a private elementary school, a seminary, a conservatory, or a language training program. It is your chosen institution’s responsibility to issue an I-20 form to you once you have been accepted based on your academic qualifications to a full-time program. This form can be used for the visa application process.
Proof of Funds
That is why the US consular officer will want to see that you have enough financial resources to sustain yourself in the United States for the entire length of your study program. This consists of the funds for the school fees and other related expenses such as feeding, and accommodation among others. Generally, you need to provide proof of funds proving your ability to pay for at least one year, though a consular officer may demand more. This can be from the sponsor organizations, scholarships, the candidate’s own or family or any other means. Other necessary financial proofs include bank statements and records of possessions.
Visa Appointment and Interview
Once you have arranged to have an I-20 form and all the financial documents and other necessary documents with you, you can then make payment on the SEVIS I-901 fee and arrange for the visa interview at the US embassy or consulate nearest to you. Here, the applicant, as the visa applicant, has to attend this interview in person. Some general questions that will be asked to you will concern your plans and choice of the course that you wish to study together with the reasons that made you choose this course and this country instead of staying in your home country and studying other programs. Make sure you are ready to discuss their future plans and what kind of career they are interested in. You may be barred from entry if you do not demonstrate to the consular officer that you will return to your home country after completing your stay in the US as a student.
Passport Validity
When arriving in the USA as a student under a student visa, you must have a passport that will be valid at least 6 months ahead. It must be in very good condition and should not contain any physical defect. It is required to carry the photographs of any previous visas issued to you by the USA. Police certificates may be required in certain circumstances to prove that you have no criminal record.
Getting Your Student Visa
If you fulfill the following requirements, are able to prove your strong tie towards your home country, and follow all these steps correctly, then the consular officer will grant your student visa. This will enable one to make several entries into the USA within the validity of 5 years, though one is in a full-time study program.
It is recommended, therefore, that planning for all this be done way ahead of time. They recommended that one begins months earlier, especially if the applicant’s country has a long wait for visa appointments. It is essential to understand the non-immigrant student visa process and factors that make a student eligible for the visa before applying thus ensuring the student gets a higher chance of success in his or her visa application. The fulfillment one derives from education in America at one of the best schools in the world makes the endeavor all the more worthwhile!