A guide for the student US visa
The United States of America is the largest hub for students and education. They offer unparalleled programmes with the most proficient faculty and the best campus facilities. They also have great employment opportunities after education. They have impeccable opportunities for all courses and careers. Their student integration and culture are also unsurpassed. Like all other countries, a student visa is required to study at any university there.
There are two types of visas to study in the US, an F1 visa and a J1 visa. An F1 visa is required for a regular full-time educational programme, while a J1 visa is required for a student exchange programme. An F2 visa is required for the people accompanying students. It could be a spouse, parent, or children under the age of 21.
The process of acquiring a visa is a simple yet elaborate process. It has to be done with utmost care and precision, else there are chances of it getting rejected. A rejected visa will delay your education and can come between you and your dreams. We at Paramount Global with 15 years of experience guide you through this process and make sure nothing comes in between you and your dream university.
Requirements for a US student visa
- A passport with a validity of at least six months more than the duration of the stay.
- A recent photo with the required specifications
- Form I-20
- SEVIS fee payment
- Form DS-160
There are a lot of misconceptions about additional documents to submit like bank statements, property documents, and educational loans if any. These documents are not required unless especially specified by that particular embassy or consulate. Another common misconception is that acquiring an educational loan will increase the chances of acceptance. This is completely false, look out for an education loan only if required, if you can fund your education, a loan is absolutely unnecessary.
Step-by-step guidance on applying
1. The first and most important step is getting accepted into a good university. The visa officers will verify the ranking, recognition, and affiliation of the university before issuing a visa. You will need the acceptance letter from a recognised university. We at Paramount Global with our methodical APPS services help you with university applications.
2. Once you get accepted into a university, you will need to enroll yourself into SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) and pay the registration fee. Once you do that, your college will issue a Form I-20. Some universities issue the form before filling the SEVIS fee, while for some you will need to pay the fee to obtain the form.
3. Look for an embassy or consulate around you.
4. Fill out the DS-160 form. This is an online application form where you will also need to select the embassy and pay an application fee. This is one of the last steps before the interview.
5. This is one of the most important steps to acquiring a US student visa, the interview. Before issuing a student visa, the embassy officers will take your interview to decide whether you should be issued a visa or not. Even though the interview can be a make-or-break point, do not fret. The visa officers mainly check only three things,
6. How good is your university
7. Do you have enough funds to meet all expenses and sustain yourself?
8. Your academic record
The questions usually asked at the interview are very generic, and are mainly to check the genuinity. During the interview, a visa insurance fee will be taken, and your digital fingerprints will be recorded. Your passport will also be taken. Your visa will be approved subject to the discretion of the officer. Some additional documents like pass certificates, birth certificates, test scores of SAT, ACT, etc., and your ties to the country may be required.
We have seen students panic due to their interview dates. This is absolutely not required as there are plenty of slots available, especially for US student visas. Especially for the F1 visa, there are also emergency slots available for the students whose semester starts within a few days. With this provision, there is absolutely no shortage or delay in the availability of interview slots. The USA is also a country that issues visas the fastest, they usually take only 48-72 hours to process the F1 visa.
In 2022, they have also launched a new Dropbox feature which makes the process easier for the people who hold a US visa, or who have been to the USA before. They can be exempted from the interview process, and need to submit fewer documents.
The US embassy keeps updating its policies and features. We at Paramount Global with over 15 years of experience have a track of all the new and updated policies. With an acceptance rate of almost 100%, we make sure your visa application process is hassle-free. We follow a clear checklist which makes the process easier for you. Our top-notch APPS services as well are extremely beneficial for the application process. We guide you through your journey from shortlisting universities to the visa procedure.