{"id":2094,"date":"2015-08-12T14:19:41","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T21:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/?p=2094"},"modified":"2018-08-29T18:41:10","modified_gmt":"2018-08-30T01:41:10","slug":"applying-for-your-student-visa-the-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/applying-for-your-student-visa-the-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Applying for Your Student Visa: The Basics!"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s guest post, our friends at StudyUSA\u00a0help explain how to get your student visa. They’ll show you that it’s not as intimidating as you might think!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Similar to applying to university, applying for your student visa is not necessarily difficult, but be ready to be organized, follow lots of steps and to wait. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s go over what kind of visa you need. The most common student visa is an F-1 visa. The majority of international students studying in the United States are here on F-1 visas. J-1 visas are primarily for exchange students who receive a majority of their funding (51 percent) from an institution or government sponsor. M-1 visas are for students entering vocational programs. <\/span><\/p>\n

The biggest fear of most international students is being denied a visa to study in the USA. Here\u2019s the good news, in 2014, 595,569 F-1 visas were issued!<\/span><\/p>\n

Applying for anything life changing like university in another country or your student visa can be daunting and intimidating. Reading everything you need to provide, verify, fill out, etc. does not help if you\u2019re anxious. So let\u2019s break it down step-by-step! <\/span>An important note: aside from the first and last step, the order of these steps may vary based on your U.S. Embassy or Consulate. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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Applying for Your Student Visa: The Basics<\/h2>\n

TIP: Begin the <\/i><\/b>visa application process<\/i><\/b><\/a> at least three months before you plan to enter the United States. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Step 1<\/b>: Congratulations! You\u2019ve been accepted into a university, college or English language program! Doesn\u2019t that feel good?! This is the first step: be accepted by a SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) school or program. Keep your acceptance letter. You will need this for other forms and your visa interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2<\/b>: Your SEVP approved school will send you an I-20 form to complete. Make sure that your name and spelling is the same on your I-20 form, acceptance letter, and passport. This is very important! You will need to bring your completed I-20 form to your visa interview.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3<\/b>: Complete the online visa application: Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application \u2013 Form DS-160. Again, make sure the spelling of your name is the same on all your documents. Once you have completed the form, print out the confirmation page, because guess what, you need to bring it to your visa interview. Noticing a trend here? There will also be a processing fee to complete the application. There may be specific payment instructions depending on your U.S. Embassy or Consulate. <\/span><\/p>\n

You will need to upload a photo of yourself to complete the Form DS-160.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 4<\/b>: Some countries will allow you to schedule your visa interview now, while others will require you to pay the SEVIS fee. This fee supports the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) and SEVIS. Regardless, you will need to have paid this fee at least three days before your visa interview. The cost at this time is US$160. You can find payment instructions <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>. This won\u2019t surprise you by now: you need to keep a copy of your receipt for your visa interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

TIP: As you\u2019ve noticed, copies of your documents are crucial to the visa application process. Losing them could cause major problems and lead to a visa denial. Take extra precautions and photocopy and\/or scan them and save them to a hard drive.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Step 5<\/b>: You\u2019re almost there! Time to schedule your visa interview. Your U.S. Embassy or Consulate will have specific instructions on how to schedule your visa interview, as well as wait times.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Preparing for Your Visa Interview<\/h2>\n

Now, for the actual interview \u2026 Okay, I know this whole process probably makes you a little anxious and I\u2019m about to make you more anxious: the success of your visa interview is crucial to obtaining your visa. <\/span><\/p>\n

Like preparing for an important test, it\u2019s normal to be a little anxious; in fact it\u2019s good. Have you had your moment of being nervous? Now, dissolve that anxiety by <\/span>being well prepared<\/span><\/a>. Here are some important tips to prepare for your visa interview:<\/span><\/p>\n