India Ink: How to Apply for a Student Visa to Study in the United States

Higher Education

The Choice on India Ink

Guidance on American college applications for readers in India from The Times?s admissions blog.

Martin Bennett is the EducationUSA outreach coordinator at the Institute of International Education.

If you are a senior in high school, you hopefully have made that all-important decision as to which U.S. college or university you will attend this fall. As an international student, you have another critical step to take before your dream becomes a reality: the student visa interview.

There is no need to feel anxious about your student visa interview. International students who are currently studying in the United States have reported that their initial fears were unfounded, and instead gave way to excitement and anticipation after their visas were approved.

Here is some advice about obtaining your student visa:

Schedule your student visa appointment.

1. Receive your certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status: either Form I-20 (for F or M visa) or Form DS-2019 (for J visa).

To apply for a visa, you must first have received a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019. The academic institutions that admit you will send a Form I-20 (for F or M visa) or Form DS-2019 (for J visa) depending on the visa that matches your study status. You will receive the form only after you have:

Pay the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee.

You must pay a S.E.V.I.S. fee (currently $200 for F or M visas) and complete the relevant forms before your visa interview. Follow the instructions carefully. For more information, you may also visit the U.S. government?s Study in the States Web site for students.

Schedule your appointment.

Once you receive the required documentation (I-20/DS-2019 and your S.E.V.I.S. fee receipt) for the school you wish to attend, you can make an appointment with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for a student visa. Your visa can be issued up to 120 days before your arrival in the United States, so it is best to apply for your appointment as early as possible. Visa interview scheduling is done online or by phone at most U.S. embassies and consulates. In India, the appointments are made through V.F.S. Global.

You may go online to complete the U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160) and pay the application fee.

Be prepared on the day of your student visa appointment:

Before you go to the U.S. consulate or embassy for your visa appointment, be sure to complete this quick checklist, as any inconsistencies in your information may delay the issuance of your visa.

• Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond the end of your study in the United States and that your name is spelled correctly and appears the same on all documents.
• Be sure to have your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and your S.E.V.I.S. receipt.
• Confirm the date and time of your visa interview and that you have followed the instructions on the Web site of your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
• During the interview, be prepared to answer questions regarding ties to your home country, your English language skills, your academic background, the program in the United States to which you have been admitted and proof of your financial ability.

A vice consul at the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, Mexico, offered the following advice to student visa applicants that sums up what the interviewing officers are looking for in visa applicants: ?Because interviews are short, do your best to explain why you want to study in the United States, how you plan to support yourself while in school, and what your plans are for when your studies are finished.?

The U.S. Department of State issued 781,719 student and exchange visitor visas in fiscal year 2011. That is a worldwide acceptance rate of almost 86 percent. Monica Shie, a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, reports that nearly one million Indians have received student visas over the last 10 years to study in the United States.

I wish you good luck. If you would like to speak with someone in person about the process, contact one of our EducationUSA Advising Centers, which host visa information sessions for students.

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