A visa is a document that allows you to enter the US in a certain kind of status, and determines the restrictions, opportunities, and length of stay you have in the US. There are many types of visas.
The F-1 student visa is required for individuals that will enter the US to pursue an educational degree, assuming you do not already have US citizenship, permanent residency, or another visa category that allows you to study in the US.
*Please note, your visa will be issued based on your name as it appears in your passport. If there are any errors in your name in your passport, or if it is structured incorrectly (such as not having a first or last name), it is STRONGLY advised that you correct your passport BEFORE applying for your US visa. Once you enter the US, your official names in all documents are based on your passport, and it becomes much harder to change your name after you arrive. Please take the time to have any errors corrected BEFORE applying for your visa!
Understand The F-1 Visa Process, Tips and Best Practices:
Applying for an F-1 Student Visa
Information for Canadian Students
Visa Application Tips
Visa Interview Tips
Administrative Processing (221g)
Visa Denials
Webinar Recordings and Presentation Slides – The Student Visa Process Preparation, Tips & What to Expect
Applying for an F-1 Student Visa
1. You must first be admitted to a college or university and receive an I-20 from the school you plan to attend. Click here to learn more about how to request your I-20 document.
2. After you have your I-20, you will need to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee for that SEVIS ID shown on the top left of the I-20. This is a one-time fee, which is used to maintain the immigration database that manages international student and scholar information. You can read more information and pay the fee here. Please note you will save your SEVIS fee receipt as you will need it for future steps.
3. Next, complete a DS-160 visa application form, found here and pay the associated DS-160 application fee of $185 USD. You will need information from your I-20 to complete this form. Below are some common questions about completing the DS-160:
- US Point of Contact
- Name: OISS staff person listed on your I-20
- Phone: 410-455-2831 (Use this number for the application only. If you have questions, go to our Contact Us page)
- Email Address: isss@umbc.edu (Use this email for the application only. If you have questions, go to our Contact Us page)
- Address: 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250
- US Address
- If you don’t yet know where you will live, you can use the campus address: 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250
4. After completing the DS-160, you can schedule your visa appointment. U.S. Department of State rules require F‑1 visa applicants to schedule and attend their visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or legal residence. A list of US Embassy locations can be found here. Please note that each post will have unique scheduling procedures, and may require you to book a separate biometrics appointment. Follow the instructions provided by your embassy or consulate.
5. Gather the required documents listed on your specific Embassy’s website before your visa appointment and bring them with you to your visa appointment. Your interview usually lasts no more than 3 minutes, in which time the consular officer will ask you questions about your goals in the US and intentions after completing your academic goals. Many Embassies have videos on their websites to help you prepare for your visit to the Embassy.
Plan to bring the following documents to your visa appointment, in addition to any other documents listed on your Embassy’s website:
- Form I-20
- DS-160 visa application fee receipt
- Valid passport (with more than 6 months of future validity)
- Passport photograph – many embassies ask you to upload these with your DS-160
- I-901 SEVIS fee receipt
- Transcripts from University and secondary school studies, appropriate to your intended degree program in the US; and relevant test score reports, such as TOEFL/IELTS, GRE or SAT, etc.
- Financial documents proving available funds for at least one year of expenses
6. Set your social media profiles to “public” per the State Department’s comprehensive and thorough vetting requirements
7. If your visa appointment goes well and your application is approved, expect to leave your passport with the embassy so they can process your visa stamp. It will be returned to you shortly after with the visa added to the passport. This process and timeline varies by embassy.
8. Once you have your visa, you can plan your travels to the US! Please note, when entering the US for the first time in F-1 status, you can only enter up to 30 days before your I-20 start date- this is noted on your I-20 as “Earliest Admission Date.” Plan your flights and related travel plans accordingly!
For more details concerning the F-1 student visa, please visit the US Department of State website here.
Canadian citizens do not need an F-1 visa to enter the US as a student but do need an I-20. You will need to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee to maintain your SEVIS record but will not need to complete a DS-160 visa application.
You may enter the US no earlier than 30 days before your I-20 start date with your passport and I-20. It is also best to carry your financial documents, proving your financial support, and your SEVIS fee receipt. You should be prepared to answer similar questions to the visa interview tips below at the border.
- Carefully enter all information concerning your name and personal information so that it matches your passport.
- Naming conventions in the US assume a first and last name. Please make sure your name appears correctly on your passport before starting this process, so corrections are not needed later.
- Apply as early as possible to avoid long delays in getting a visa appointment close to the start of a semester!
- Your SEVIS fee receipt is valid for 1 year so if you defer your admission, you may not need to pay this fee again. Save your SEVIS fee receipt!
The visa interview is a chance for the consular officer to hear your story about why you want to go to the US for your education. Your plans must align with the purpose and scope of an F-1 visa. They also need to ensure consistency between your documents and your answers to their questions.
A visa interview usually involves the interviewing officer establishing:
- Who you are
- What you want to do
- How you are going to pay for it
- What you intend to do when you’ve completed your “approved activity” (in this case, your studies)
To that end, you should expect questions about:
- Your travel plans
- What you plan to study, and why you chose the specific school you have an I-20 for to study that subject
- Your academic goals in the US
- Your ties to your home country
- How you will fund your studies in the US
- Intention to return to your home country after you finish school – the F-1 category is specifically for school, so you will need to explain your post-graduate plans as they relate to returning home.
Your visa interview will be conducted in English, so you should be prepared to feel comfortable understanding and responding to the questions in English.
Some embassies will have videos or other information on their specific website about how the interview works at that embassy – please be sure to explore your embassy’s website for additional resources!
Administrative Processing (221g)
Sometimes students receive “administrative processing,” also called “221(g)” in response to their application – this is not a denial. Administrative processing means that the consular officer needs more information to make a decision on your visa application.
The length of processing time varies but can be as short as a week or take months. Applicants might be asked to provide additional documents. If you need additional documents from the OISS office, please contact us for support. When the processing is complete, if the application is approved then the applicant will be notified to collect their passport with the US F-1 visa stamp appropriately.
If your visa application is denied, in most cases you can apply again. Be sure to ask the officer interviewing you for a specific reason so you can strengthen your application for next time!
It is common for denials to be based on “214(b)” – this means you did not establish that you are eligible for an F-1 visa, usually because you did not satisfy the visa officer that your goals in the US are in line with the kind of visa you are asking for. They should be able to explain to you why you were not eligible, and this will help you decide if you want to apply again.
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