US visa requirements
You will then be ready to apply for your F-1 non-immigrant visa. In order to obtain this you will need to arrange an interview at your local US embassy, following the US visa requirements process below:
1. Pay the MRV visa application fee of US$160 (the embassy will tell you where you should pay this).
2.Complete a DS-160 form online, uploading a photograph.
3. Bring to the interview your acceptance letter, proof you’ve paid all the fees and filled in the right forms, the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, which is a Certificate of Eligibility, and a passport which doesn’t expire until six months after you complete your degree.
4. The decision to give you a visa will be in the hands of the consular officer. Their decision will hinge on three things: whether you can financially support yourself, whether you can show you can and want to return home after graduating (getting a work visa is a whole different process), and whether you can prove your academic results to date.
5. The last of these may involve you proving your proficiency in English. You will also have to provide proof of this to your university at the application stage.
6. Additional documents may be requested to establish your academic preparation, your intent to depart the US upon completion of your course of study and how you will pay your financial costs, so make sure you have these with you when you go to the visa application interview.
7. Additional demands will be made if you have a criminal record, or you’re an expert in certain areas of science and technology.
8. You can receive your US study visa a maximum of 120 days before your course’s start date, but processing can commence before this date. You cannot actually enter the country until 30 days before the beginning of your course, unless you have a visitor visa. This last stipulation also applies to those who would normally not require a visa for short stays in the US.
