Applying for the F1 Visa - Siena Heights University Information.pdf · An interview at the embassy...

International Studies

Sage Union1247 E. Siena Heights DriveAdrian, MI 49221-1796(517) 264-7001, (877) 521-0009 x7001fax: (517) 264-7714www.sienaheights.eduemail: [email protected]

Applying for the F1 Visa



Dates anD Processing information

imPortant: US embassies and consulates can issue your F-1 visa only within 120 days prior to the start date of your academic program. If you apply for a visa more than 120 days before the start date indicated on your I-20 form, the US embassy or consulate will hold your application until it is able to issue the visa. Consular officials will use that extra time to conduct any of the necessary special clearances or other processes that may be required.

note: According to Department of Homeland Security regulations, new F-1 students may be allowed to enter the United States only within 30 days prior to the start date indicated on the I-20 form. Please consider this date carefully when making travel plans to the US. Students are encouraged to apply for their visas early to provide ample time for visa processing. Students may apply for their visa as soon as they are prepared to do so.

seVis fee requirement

All individuals receiving an initial SEVIS I-20 form are required to pay a SEVIS fee before they apply for the F-1 visa. The fee must be paid before the date of the visa interview and the fee payment must be verified before the F-1 visa can be issued. You are advised to allow at least 3 business days between the fee payment and your visa interview at a US consulate or embassy. No fee is to be paid for F-2 dependents, i.e. spouses and dependent children of F-1 students. If you are a citizen of a country exempt from the requirement to have a visa to enter the United States (for example, Canada and Bermuda), you must provide proof of fee payment at the port of entry to the US. imPortant: You cannot pay the seVis fee at a us consulate or port of entry. The fee must be paid with Form I-901, which must be completed in English with the exact personal information as recorded on your I-20 form. It is also available online and can be downloaded at www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm.

Payments can be made in one of the following ways:

1. By mail: • Download and complete Form I-901. • Write a check or money order drawn on a bank located in the United States and payable in US dollars. DO NOT MAIL CASH! • Make the check/money order payable to “I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee.” • Write the name of the student and the SEVIS Identification Number (the 10-digit number found above the bar code on the first page of the SEVIS Form I-20) on the check. • Mail the completed Form I-901 with payment to: P.O. Box Address or Courier/Express Delivery Address I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor PO Box 970020 Processing Fee St. Louis MO 63197-0020 1005 Convention Plaza USA St. Louis MO 63101 USA



• Once the information and payment are processed, the student’s electronic SEVIS record will be updated with the fee payment information.

2. over the internet (recommended option): • You must use a credit card to pay the SEVIS fee online. Any Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card issued in the US or abroad can be used.

• Go to www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm and follow the instructions.

• Once you submit the payment, you will be able to print a receipt for immediate verification of the fee payment. The verification will also be automatically recorded in your electronic SEVIS record.

3. Western union quick Pay option: • This option allows you to pay the SEVIS fee in local currency.

• This option is available in any country where Western Union offers its Quick Pay service.

• The properly completed Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof of payment for a visa interview at a US consulate and for admission at a US port of entry.

• Follow these steps: ➤ Go online to www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/wu_instr.htm and print out a copy of the instructions along with a copy of the sample Blue Form.

➤ Go to a local participating Western Union Agent location. To find the nearest Western Union Agent location go to www.payment-solutions.com/agent.asp and select a country or call the telephone number of the Western Union Commercial Services Network Agent in your country as listed in your phone book.

➤ Request and fill out the Blue Form. This form may show words such as “Payment Services” or “Quick Pay” printed in the applicable local language. However, please note that all Quick Pay forms will be blue. You must fill out all appropriate information.

interVieW requirements

As part of the visa application process, an interview at the embassy consular section is required for visa applicants from age 14 through 79. During the visa application process, usually at the interview, an ink-free, digital fingerprint scan will be quickly taken. Some applicants will need additional screening, and will be notified when they apply. Also, because each student’s personal and academic situation is different, two students applying for 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 abridged or expanded by consular officers overseas, depending on each student’s situation.



all applicants for an f-1 visa must provide:An I-20 form issued by Siena Heights University. 1. Be sure to sign the first page of your I-20 and provide all pages of the form for the visa interview. All students, as well as their spouses and dependents must be registered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an Internet-based system that maintains accurate and current information on non-immigrant students and exchange visitors and their dependents (F/M-2 visa holders). A completed application, Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant,Form DS-156, together with a Form DS-158. 2. 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. The DS-156 must be the March 2006 date, electronic “e-form application.” In other words, this must be completed on-line. See web address below.

A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the 3. applicant’s intended period of stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). If more than one person is included in the passport, each person desiring a visa must complete an application.

One (1) 2x2 photograph. The required photograph must be an unmounted, full-face photo taken within 4. the last six months. It must be submitted stapled or glued to the Application Form DS-156. See the www.unitedstatesvisas.gov website for detailed photo requirements.

A receipt showing payment of the visa application fee. For up-to-date information on current fees, 5. contact the U.S. embassy/consulate in your home country. note: the visa application fee is different and separate from the seVis fee. (see information below on how to pay the seVis fee.)

An interview at the embassy consular section is required for almost all visa applicants. The waiting 6. time for an interview appointment for applicants can vary, so early visa application is strongly encouraged. During the visa interview, an ink-free, digital fingerprint scan will be quickly taken, as well as a digital photo. Some applicants will need additional screening, and will be notified when they apply.

all applicants for an f-1 visa should be prepared to provide:

Transcripts and diplomas from previous schools attended.1.

Scores from standardized tests if available, such as TOEFL and SAT.2.

Financial evidence that shows you or the people sponsoring you have sufficient funds to cover your 3. tuition and living expenses during the period of your intended study. For example, you can provide income tax documents and original bank statements. If you or your sponsor owns a business, you can show business registration, licenses, tax documents and original bank statements.



HoW to PrePare for tHe Visa interVieW

What do consular officers look for?

evidence of residence abroad – The consular officer may not issue a student visa unless satisfied that the applicant: (1) has a residence abroad, (2) has no intention of abandoning that residence, and (3) intends to depart from the United States upon completion of the course of study.

Evidence of English Proficiency – If your 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 you have the necessary proficiency. To this end, the officer must conduct the visa interview in English.

Determining financial status of f-1 students – The phrase “sufficient funds to cover expenses” means that you must establish the unlikelihood of either becoming a public charge or of resorting to unauthorized US employment for financial support. You must provide documentary evidence that sufficient funds are, or will be, available to defray all expenses during the entire period of anticipated study. This does not mean that you 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 you have enough readily available funds to meet all expenses for the first year of study.

Educational Qualifications for F-1 Students – Consular officers are not expected to assume the role of admissions counselors to determine whether you are qualified to pursue the desired course of study, but are expected to be alert to three specific factors: (1) that you have successfully completed a course of study equivalent to that normally required of an American student seeking enrollment at the same level; (2) that you haven’t submitted forged or altered transcripts of previous or related study or training which SHU has accepted as valid, and (3) that SHU hasn’t accepted your alleged previous course of study or training as the equivalent of its normal requirements when, in fact, this is not the case

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.

aDDitional information

No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore final travel plans or the purchase of non refundable tickets should not be made until a visa has been issued. Unless previously canceled, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, if the traveler has a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport, do not remove the visa page from the expired passport. You may use it along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.



WhaT arE VISa OFFIcErS cOnSIDErIng?

When you apply for an F-1 visa at an American embassy or consulate, a consular official will interview you. The interview usually lasts only two or three minutes. It is good to understand that the main purpose of the visa interview is for you to “prove” to the consular officials that you WILL rETUrn to your home country after finishing your academic program. Of course, it is impossible to actually prove or know that a person will or will not do something in the future. Thus, the consular official must believe that you will return to your home country, or the visa will not be issued. You can reassure the consular officials by talking about the things that tie you to your home: family, property, employment.

1. ties to Your Home countryUnder U.S. law, all applicants for nonimmigrant visas, such as student visas, are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. “Ties” to your home country are the things that bind you to your home town, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. If you are a prospective undergraduate, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans and career prospects in your home country. Each person’s situation is different, of course, and there is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or letter which can guarantee visa issuance. If you have applied for the U.S. Green Card Lottery, you may be asked if you are intending to immigrate. A simple answer would be that you applied for the lottery since it was available but not with a specific intent to immigrate. If you overstayed your authorized stay in the United States previously, be prepared to explain what happened clearly and concisely, with documentation, if available.

2. English Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, but do NOT prepare speeches! If you are coming to the United States solely to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.

3. speak for YourselfDo not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family. A negative impression is created if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf. If you are a minor applying for a high school program and need your parents there is case there are questions, for example about funding, they should wait in the waiting room.

4. Know the Program and How it fits Your career PlansIf you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate.



You should also be able to explain how studying in the United States relates to your future professional career when you return home. You need to know and show what you will do with your degree from a U.S. institution (or, if you want to attend an English language program, with your better English) when you return home. You need to have good (plausible) future plans in your own country.

It is often very helpful to have a job offer--in writing-- from an employer in your home country promising you a good job or a higher position in the company WHen You return from tHe u.s. You should know what the job situation is in your field in your home country. With a little research you can find out what the job prospects are. The U.S. consular officials will know about these things, too. It’s usually better for you if you can show that you will have good job prospects in your home country after finishing your program in the U.S.

5. Practice the interviewYou should practice for the interview with friends. The practice interviews should be no more than three minutes long and very unfriendly. While the consular officer will probably be cordial in the real interview, it is best to be prepared for the worst. You should be ready to answer questions such as “Where did you hear about this school?” etc.

If you don’t know very much about your chosen school, the consular official will often refuse to give you a visa. Consular officials may think that you are not really planning to go to school but are simply trying to enter the U.S. to work. You should write a “statement of purpose” explaining why you want to go to this particular school and what you hope to do with the knowledge later on in Your Home countrY.

6. Presenting your financial statusIf your financial status is an issue, you may want to pay tuition to the school in advance and present the receipt to the consular official. The offical will almost certainly respect this gesture. Bank loans are NOT good evidence of financial support for students. Consular officials think that people with loans are more likely to seek employment in the U.S. so they can pay back the loan.

7. Be Brief Because of the volume of applications received, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer’s questions short and to the point.

8. additional DocumentationIt should be immediately clear to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be quickly read or evaluated. Remember that you will have 2-3 minutes of interview time, if you are lucky.

9. not all countries are equal Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the United States as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the United States.



International Student Agreement

10. EmploymentYour main purpose in coming to the United States should be to study, not for the chance to work before or after graduation. While many students do work off-campus during their studies, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program. If your spouse is also applying for an accompanying F-2 visa, be aware that F-2 dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the United States. If asked, be prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the United States. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities.

11.Dependents remaining at HomeIf your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gains the impression that your family will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support themselves, your student visa application will almost certainly be denied. If your family does decide to join you at a later time, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa.

12 Maintain a Positive attitudeDo not engage the consular officer in an argument. If you are denied a student visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, and try to get the reason you were denied in writing.

13. Honesty is the best policyYou should be honest with consular officials at all times. For example, applicants in some countries might not want to show their true financial status because they may be trying to “shield” income from taxes. Thus, their financial statements may not show this “black money” and so may not show enough money for education in the U.S. But, U.S. consular officals actually don’t care at all if your family is hiding income from your own government. They will, however, appreciate your honesty and be much more likely to grant the visa if they know your true financial status. Conversely, if the consular officals believe that you are lying or have lied in a previous interview--about anything--they will probably not issue the visa.

Taken from Tips compiled by John Whitney at Oregon State and NAFSA naFSa would like to credit gerald a. Wunsch, Esq., 1997, then a member of the consular Issues Working group, and a former U.S. consular Officer in Mexico, Suriname, and the netherlands; and martha Wailes of indiana university for their contributions to this document. nafsa also appreciates the input of the u.s. Department of state.



entering tHe u.s. - Port of entrY

A visa allows a foreign citizen coming from abroad, to travel to the United States port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authority to permit or deny admission to the United States. Student visitors must have their Form I-20 in their possession each time they enter the United States. When you get to a US port of entry, you must present your passport with your f-1 visa stamp, and your original ShU I-20 form. The immigration officer will inspect your documents to determine your eligibility for admission into the United States as a nonimmigrant foreign student. The immigration officer will then photograph and fingerprint you. The officer also has the right to question you about your financial status, your intentions regarding working in the United States, and your intent to attend the school indicated on your visa and I-20. If the immigration officer asks you whether you intend to work in the US, you should respond that you will only work as directed by the stipulations of your f-1 visa status. When you pass the inspection, the officer will stamp your passport and Form I-20, and will write “D/S F-1” on your I-94 card.

MaKE SUrE ThaT ThE VISa OFFIcEr STaMPS YOUr I20 anD ISSUES YOU an I94. BOTh OF ThESE arE VErY IMPOrTanT DOcUMEnTS. rEPLacEMEnT cOSTS arE OVEr $300.

Students should review important information about Admissions/Entry requirements on the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website. Upon arrival (at an international airport, seaport or land border crossing), you will be enrolled in the US-VISIT entry-exit program. In addition, some travelers will also need to register their entry into and their departure from the U.S. with the Special Registration program. If you are allowed to enter the U.S., the CBP official will determine the length of your visit on the Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94). Since Form I-94 documents your authorized stay in the U.S., it’s very important to keep in your passport.

The visa stamp will be placed in your passport when your application is approved. This stamp will indicate your full name, your passport serial number, the place where the visa was issued, the visa issuance and expiration dates, whether it is a single- or multiple-entry visa, and the name of SHU as the US school you’ll be attending.

The period between the issuance and the expiration dates is the time for which this particular visa can be used for entry and re-entry into the United States. It may be the same or different from the expected amount of time you’ll need to complete your SHU degree as marked on your Form I-20. For instance, if you obtain a visa that is valid for six months, it means you have six months to use that visa to enter the United States. When you get to an actual US port of entry, the admitting immigration officer will typically admit you for the whole duration of your intended course of study (usually the officer will write down “D/S F-1” as “Duration of Status under the F-1 Visa”). If you fail to use your visa within a six-month period, it will no longer be valid. But once you use the visa to enter the United States, you are allowed to remain in the US as long as you maintain legal F-1 status. The number of entries (single or multiple) on the visa refers to the number of times this same visa can be used to enter the US before the visa expires. A single-entry visa means that you can use that visa only once. If you are a student with a single entry visa and you subsequently travel to another country (other than a trip of 30 days or less to Canada or Mexico), you will have to obtain a new visa to reenter the United States, even if you have been maintaining your F-1 status and were granted duration of status at the time of initial entry. If you have a multiple-entry visa, you will be able to use it to reenter the United States as many times as you like while the visa is valid, as long as you maintain legal F-1 status and the third page of your I-20 form has been signed by an SHU Designated School Official within the last 12 months.



hOW LOng can YOU STaY In ThE US On YOUr F-1 VISa?

As mentioned above, when you enter the United States on an F-1 visa, you will usually be admitted for the duration of your student status – in other words, you may stay as long as you maintain your legal F-1 status, even if the F-1 visa stamp in your passport expires while you are in the US.

Here is an example regarding duration of status: if you have an F-1 visa stamp that is valid for oneyears that will expire on June 30, 2007, and you are admitted into the US for the duration of yourstudies, you may stay in the US as long as you maintain legal F-1 status, even if June 30, 2007 passesand your visa stamp expires while you are in the States. However, if you depart the US with anexpired visa stamp, you will need to obtain a new one before being able to return to the US andcontinue your studies.

note: Please remember that an f-1 student visa cannot be renewed or re-issued in the unitedStates. You must apply at a US embassy or consulate abroad, preferably in your home country.Basic customs information

All persons entering the US are liable to have their baggage inspected by a customs officer at the portof entry. Visitors are allowed to bring in, duty-free, certain amounts of cash, alcohol, tobacco, andperfume. These amounts vary according to which country you are coming from, so you should findout before your departure what the regulations are in your home country. Please remember that theUS has very strict regulations about alcohol and tobacco consumption (you can’t bring in cigarettes ifyou are under 18; and you can’t bring in alcohol if you are under 21). Fresh foods are not permitted.The airline company on which you have booked your flight should have the most up-to-dateinformation on this subject. There is no limit to the amount of money you can bring into the US, butany money in excess of $500 must be declared on arrival. For this purpose, money is defined as cash,traveler’s checks, or a “negotiable monetary instrument” (that is, a check made payable to cash in USdollars). Note that your home country may have exchange control regulations setting the amount ofmoney you can take out – it is your responsibility to abide by these regulations.

The US embassy/consulate in your home country can clarify various customs regulations for you.

useful WeB siteshttps://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp - Visa application form 156

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/79965.pdf - form 158

http://www. state.gov/documents/organization/79964.pdf - form 157

https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/ - To pay the seVis fee http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html

Applying for the F1 Visa - Siena Heights University Information.pdf · An interview at the embassy...

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