The United States is the most popular destination for international students. It has a long history of welcoming foreign students and offers some of the best universities in the world. The US Student Visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreign nationals to pursue academic studies, language training programs or other types of vocational or technical training.
The challanges that comes with student visa is generally the interview process. In this post, we will tell everything that you need to know about for applying a study visa and the tips for the interview.
A (F or M) Student Visa is required for foreign nationals to study in the United States. Foreign nationals will not be able to study in the US if they have entered through the visitor (B) visa or through the VWP (Visa Waiver Program). You can however undertake recreational studies on a tourist visa.
The F1 visa is issued to international students for academic studies. It is issued to students attending a regular academic or an English language program.
A J1 Visa is issued to international students who require to obtain practical training that is unavailable in their home country for completion of their academic program.
An M1 visa is issued to international students attending a vocational or a non-academic school in the United States.
There are three intakes available in US universities.
This is a popular intake among Indian students. It starts in the month of September.
This intake starts in January. This intake is ideal if you have missed the September intake.
This intake usually starts around May. However, it is available only for limited programs and in few colleges.
| Rank | Name of the University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University |
| 2 | Princeton University |
| 3 | University of California, Berkeley |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University |
| 5 | New York University |
| 6 | Harvard University |
| 7 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 8 | Columbia University |
| 9 | University of California, Los Angeles |
| 10 | University of Michigan |
Here are the eligibility criteria you need to meet to apply to US universities:
You would generally need to provide the following documents along with your application for a student visa:
After determining which type of US student visa you need to apply, you can begin with your US Student Visa application
Irrespective of which category of student visa you apply for, you will need to undergo the following steps:
An international student needs to be enrolled in a US school before they can apply for a student visa. However, your school needs to be accredited by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) of the Government of the United States.
Once you have made your SEVIS-fee payment, you are required to fill the online application DS-160 form. It is advised that you fill this online application form at least 3-4 months before the commencement of your course.
While filling the online DS-160 form, you need to ensure that you have all proper documentation for the details you are filling in your application.
Kindly ensure that you fill all the details correctly without any mistakes.
Also, ensure you have valid documentary proof for all details you have filled and mentioned in your application form as any discrepancy can lead to rejection of your student visa application.
The last step towards earning your US student visa is attending your interview. You should be able to answer questions asked during the interview.
You should ensure that you carry valid documentation which will help to validate and support your answer. The chances of student visa rejection drastically fall when you can satisfy your interviewer with your answers and relevant documentary evidence.
Payment of the SEVIS fee: You need to pay the SEVIS-fee at least 3 days before submitting your US student visa application. You need to pay $ 200 if you are applying for an F1 or an M1 visa and $ 180 for a J1 visa.
Once you have completed and submitted your online application DS-160 form, you need to make an application fee of $ 160.
You can make this payment online, in person at an approved bank or by phone. Please note that this application fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
It is advised to print and record this payment receipt as it might be required during the interview stage of your US student visa application.
Your student visa application is generally approved or denied during your visa interview. If your student visa is approved, you will get your passport along with your US student visa within 7 to 10 working days. However, most interviewers will not inform you about the approval or rejection of your application, and you will need to wait till you receive your passport..
Note: Do not forget to carry your passport, your I-20 form and all the other documents you carried with you during your US student visa interview. You might need these documents at immigration as well.
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After payment of your student visa application fees, you can proceed to schedule a student visa interview at the nearest US embassy or consulate to your location.
US student visa interviews are relatively simple and straightforward.
However, ensure that you have all valid documentation for details provided in your application.
Yes. You can be accepted to study in an US university without IELTS if you have completed any academic studies for at least one year in the country. Then there are some universities in the US offering Bridge courses for students in lieu of IELTS. Check out with individual universities while applying.
Getting a US student visa is time consuming. However, it is a surprisingly easy process. It may be confusing for an international student or exchange visitor visa. There are hundreds of thousands of international students who are able to successfully meet the requirements of student visas each year.
