F-1 or M-1 Visa
If a visa applicant has the money to pay for school and living expenses in the US, they may be allowed to come to the U.S. on a student visa. The F-1 Visa is for languages and academic studies and the M-1 Visa is for vocational studies.
How much does it cost?
The I-901 SEVIS fee is $350 and the non-immigrant visa application fee is $185.
How long does it take?
Please visit this State Department link to check how long it will take to get a visa interview. Travelers 13 and younger and 80 and older do not need to interview.
What are the steps?
- The applicant needs to get accepted into a school that’s part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
- The school will enroll the applicant in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and will send the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status which will state how much the program will cost and when it will start.
- Pay the $350 I-901 SEVIS fee and print out the receipt.
- Get a passport(s).
- Apply for a Non-immigrant Visa using Form (DS-160) and print out the confirmation page. It is possible to apply as early as 120 days before the start of the school program.
- Pay the non-refundable $185 non-immigrant visa application fee(s).
- Schedule the visa interview at the US Embassy.
- Attend the interview and get approved for a visa.
- Make travel plans to come to the USA.
Documents to present at the interview
- Academic transcripts, diplomas, degrees, or certificates.
- Test scores such as the TOEFL, SAT, GRE, or GMAT if applicable.
- Proof of intent to leave the U.S. after the program is complete.
- Bank statements, assets, and sources of income to demonstrate that the applicant or their sponsor can afford to cover all costs.
When a visa is issued
- F-1 and M-1 student visas can be issued up to 120 days in advance of the school’s start date but, the applicant will not be allowed to enter the U.S. more than 30 days before the start date.
- The applicant will be required to present the I-20 at the airport.
- If the applicant plans to bring the spouse and/or unmarried children under 21, the school has to know because they will each be required to have their own individual Form I-20s. The applicant’s minor children will be permitted to attend school in the United States while the applicant is going to school.
- Continuing Students may renew their visas at any time, as long as they have maintained student status and their SEVIS records are current.
- Continuing students may enter the United States at any time before their classes start.
- Students who are outside the United States, and who have not been attending classes for five (5) months or more, should apply for a new student visa to reenter the United States.