| Applying for a Visa – Key Points to Keep in Mind |
In order to apply for Visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, you must first have a SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) - generated document (either an I-20 or DS-2019) issued by U.S. college or university or Department of States-designated sponsor organization. You will be required to submit this form when you apply for a visa. The U.S. academic institution or program sponsor will provide you with appropriate SEVIS- generated form only when you have been academically admitted to the institution or accepted as a participant in the exchange program. The institution or the program sponsor will also send you additional information about applying for the appropriate visa, as well as other guidance about beginning your academic program in the United States.
Once you have all the required documentation, you may apply for the visa, even if you do not intend to begin your program of study for several months. It is best to apply early for the visa to make sure that there is sufficient time for visa processing.
Planning Ahead for the Visa Process, Not Just Academic Admission
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that you will be able to arrive in time for the start of your educational program in the United States is to plan well in advance, not only for the academic portion of tour to U.S. program but also for the visa process. This means you will need to request and receive the appropriate visa-qualifying document (either I-20 or DS-2019) from the U.S. institution or the program well in advance of your planned departure to the United States. You will also need to make an appointment for your visa interview. Please consult the U.S. Embassy or the Consulate nearest you to find out how it may take to get an appointment.
Applying for a Visa – Key Points to Keep in Mind
Among the things you will need to do this is pay the SEVIS fee, pay the visa processing fee(the procedure will differ from one U.S. Embassy/Consulate to another, so visit the website of the U.S. Embassy, and make an appointment for the visa interview, again, procedures will differ, so visit the website of the U.S. Embassy). You should also make sure you have all the documentation you will need when you go for the interview, including the visa-qualification document (I-20 or DS-2019), financial support documents, proof of the payment of the SEVIS and visa fees, and a completed visa application correctly by following the Department of the States website procedures carefully.
Key information about Visas and Entering the United States
There are two additional bits of the information that are useful to know. The first is that the U.S. Embassy/Consulate cannot issue a visa more than 90 days before the start of the program in the United States. However, visa applicants are encouraged to apply for their visa as soon as they are prepared to do so. Thus, if the college or university to which you have been admitted states on the I-20 or DS- 2019 that the program will start on September 1, visa cannot be issued before june1. Second, even if you have been issued a visa to inter the United States, you will not be allowed to enter the country more than 30 days before the start of your program, if you are in initial entry student. Returning students do not have this requirement. Using the earlier example, if the program of study starts on September1, you will not be permitted to enter the United States until August 1 or later.
What is SEVIS?
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), administered by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is an Internet-based system that maintains data on foreign students and exchange visitors before and during their stay in the United States. In order to enroll students from other nations, the School Certification Branch of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) must approve U.S. colleges and universities. Most of U.S. institutions of higher education have received this approval.
