In most countries, first time student visa applicants are required to appear for an in-person interview. However, each embassy and consulate sets its own interview policies and procedures regarding student visas. Students should consult Embassy web sites or call for specific application instructions.

Keep in mind that June, July, and August are the busiest months in most consular sections, and interview appointments are the most difficult to get during that period. Students need to plan ahead to avoid having to make repeat visits to the Embassy. It is important to remember that applying early and providing the requested documents does not guarantee that the student will receive a visa. Please remember that each student’s personal and academic situation is different; two students applying for the same visa may be asked different questions and be required to submit different documents. For that reason, the guidelines that follow are general and can be expanded by consular officers overseas, depending on each student’s situation.

When Do I Need to Apply for My Student Visa?

• Students are encouraged to apply for their visa early to provide ample time for visa processing.
• The consular officer may need to get special clearances depending on the course of study and nationality of the student. This can take some additional time.
• Students should note that Embassies and Consulates are able to issue your student visa 120 days or less, in advance of the course of study registration date. If you apply for your visa more than 90 days prior to your start date or registration date as provided on the Form I-20, the Embassy or Consulate will hold your application until it is able to issue the visa. Consular officials will use that extra time to accomplish any of the necessary special clearances or other processes that may be required.
• Students are advised of the Department of Homeland Security regulation which requires that all students enter the U.S. 30 days or less in advance of the course of study start/report date as shown on the Form I-20. Please consider this date carefully when making travel plans to the U.S.

What is needed to Apply for a Student Visa?

• All applicants for a student visa must provide:
• A Form I-20 obtained from a U.S. college, school or university. Please be sure to give us all three pages of the I-20 form. The form must also be signed by you and by a school official in the appropriate places;
• An application Form DS-156 together with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed and signed. Some applicants will also be required to complete and sign Form DS-157. A separate form is needed for children, even if they are included in a parent's passport. Blank forms are available without charge at all U.S. consular offices and on the Visa Services website under Visa Application Forms.
• A passport valid for at least six months after your proposed date of entry into the United States;
• A receipt for visa processing fee. A receipt showing payment of the visa application fee for each applicant, including each child listed in a parent’s passport who is also applying for a U.S. visa, is needed;
• A receipt for the SEVIS Fee. A receipt showing payment of the $200.00 SEVIS Fee is required for any individual who is applying for an F-1 Visa.

• All applicants should be prepared to provide:
• Transcripts and diplomas from previous institutions attended;
• Financial evidence that shows you or your parents who are sponsoring you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period of your intended study. For example, a bank statement showing available funds should be taken to the interview.

• Applicants with dependents must also provide:
• Proof of the student’s relationship to his/her spouse and/or children (e.g., marriage and birth certificates.)
• It is preferred that families apply for F-1 and F-2 visas at the same time, but if the spouse and children must apply separately at a later time, they should bring a copy of the student visa holder’s passport and visa, along with all other required documents.

What a Consular Looks for during a Visa Interview

The consular officer may not issue a student visa unless satisfied that the application has the following:

1. Evidence of Residence Abroad

• Has a residence abroad,
• Has no intention of abandoning that residence, and
• Intends to depart from the United States upon completion of the course of study.

Applicants generally establish their ties abroad by presenting evidence of economic, social, and/or family ties in their homeland sufficient to induce them to leave the United States upon the completion of studies.

2. Evidence of English Proficiency

If a student’s form I-20 indicates that proficiency in English is required for pursuing the selected course of study and that no arrangements have been made to overcome any English-language deficiency, the consular officer must determine whether the student has the necessary proficiency. The officer will conduct the visa interview in English and may require the applicant to read aloud from an English-language book, periodical, or newspaper. The applicant may also be asked to read aloud and explain several of the conditions set forth in the Form I-20.

In the event that the applicant's language proficiency appears marginal, the officer may refer the applicant for language testing. Tests for this purpose will ordinarily be carried out by appropriate local groups, such as qualified host-country facilities.

3. Determining Financial Status of F-1 Students

The phrase "sufficient funds to cover expenses" referred to in 41.61(b)(2) REGS/STATS means the applicant must establish the unlikelihood of either becoming a public charge as defined in INA 212(a)(4) or of resorting to unauthorized employment in the United States for financial support. An applicant must provide documentary evidence that sufficient funds are available to defray all expenses during the entire period of anticipated study. This does not mean that the applicant must have cash immediately available to cover the entire period of intended study, which may last several years. The consular officer must, however, require credible documentary evidence that the applicant has enough readily available funds to meet all expenses for the first year of study. The officer also must be satisfied that, barring unforeseen circumstances, adequate funds will be available for each subsequent year of study from the same source or from one or more other specifically identified and reliable financial sources.

Affidavits of Support or Other Assurances by an Interested Party

Various factors are important in evaluating assurances of financial support by interested parties:

1. Financial support to a student is not a just a formality to facilitate the applicant's entry into the United States, nor does it pertain only when the student cannot provide adequate personal support. Rather, the sponsor must ensure that the applicant will not become a public charge or be compelled to take unauthorized employment while studying in the United States. This obligation starts when the student enters the United States and continues until the student’s departure.
2. The consular officer must require documentation to remove any doubt that the financial status of the person giving the assurance is sufficient to cover the student’s financial needs while a student.
3. The consular officer will confirm that the sponsor is a US Citizen or Permanent Resident if the sponsor is in the USA. The consular will examine if the sponsor has the funds needed to cover the student’s expenses without causing the student to seek unauthorized employment.
4. The consular officer must also carefully evaluate the factors which would motivate a sponsor to honor a commitment of financial support. If the sponsor is a close relative of the applicant, there may be a greater probability that the commitment will be honored than if the sponsor is not a relative. Regardless of the relationship, the consular officer must be satisfied that the reasons prompting the offer of financial support make it likely that the commitment will be fulfilled.

Consular officers are not expected to assume the role of guidance counselor to determine whether an applicant for an F-1 visa is qualified to pursue the desired course of study. The institution will determine this on the student's abilities before accepting the applicant for enrollment. Consular officers will be alert to three specific factors in this regard:

1. The applicant has successfully completed a course of study equivalent to that normally required of an American student seeking enrollment at the same level.
2. cases in which an applicant has submitted forged or altered transcripts of previous or related study or training which the institution has accepted as valid, and,
3. cases in which an institution has accepted an applicant's alleged previous course of study or training as the equivalent of its normal requirements when, in fact, such is not the case.

The fact that a student’s proposed education or training would not appear to be useful in the homeland is not a basis for refusing an F-1 visa. However, it may be a relevant factor in the overall assessment of the likelihood of the student’s return. This may be particularly true where F-1 coursework is advanced far beyond local needs.

• Guidelines for getting your F1 Visa Application (pdf)
• Embassy Information
• Visa Wait Times
• Department of State Student Visa Information