F-1 Student Visa - USA

With an F-1 Visa (Academic Student), a person can study full-time in any accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution in the United States, or they can study language training.

Who is Eligible to Apply for the F-1 visa?

The application process for the F-1 student visa is complicated. Prior to submitting an application for an F-1 visa, the following requirements must be considered:

• The person needs to be enrolled in a vocational, language training, or "academic" educational program.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Student and Exchange Visitors Program must approve their school.
• The person has to be enrolled in the institution full-time.
• He or she needs to be enrolled in courses that will improve their English proficiency or be fluent in the language.
• For the duration of the suggested course of study, one must have enough money for self-support.
• It is necessary for an individual to have a place of residence outside of the United States that they will return to after earning their degree.

Student visa (F) numbers for last few years:

• 2018- 389,579
• 2019- 388,839
• 2020- 121,205
• 2021- 377,659
• 2022- 437,018

Steps to Applying for a USA F-1 Visa

All international students who want to study in the US must apply for an F-1 visa, except for Canadian and Bermuda students. The F-1 visa application process requires adherence to the following guidelines. Each U.S. Embassy or Consulate may have a different procedure for completing these steps in the order listed:

Applying at a SEVP Approved School

The first step is to apply to a SEVP-approved school in the United States. Students will register for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and be required to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee which is $350 once their enrollment has been accepted by the SEVP-approved school. They will receive a Form I-20 from the SEVP-approved school. Students can apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country after receiving the Form I-20 and registering in SEVIS.

Gathering Required Documents

The documentation needed to apply for an F-1 visa may differ depending on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in that person's home country. The following are some common documents that every individual who wishes to study in the United States must have:

• A passport that is currently valid for at least six months after the planned stay in the United States.
• The Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status is Form I-20. Both the applicant and a school official must sign this form, which was provided by the institution the applicant plans to attend.
• A signed and completed online nonimmigrant visa application, Form DS-160.
• A passport-style photo that satisfies US Department of State standards.
• Payment of the application and SEVIS fees for a visa.
• Documentation of financial support, including tax returns, bank statements, and letters from sponsors or scholarships.
• Diplomas, academic transcripts, and test results (TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, etc.), if relevant. proof of connections to one's native country, such as a job offer, family ties, and real estate ownership.
• Any extra paperwork that the American embassy or consulate might need, like certification of language skills or proof that the student plans to return home after finishing their studies.

Completing the Online Visa Application

Once all required paperwork has been gathered, candidates must complete the DS-160 form and print it out for use during the interview process. The online nonimmigrant visa application form, DS-160, is intended for short-term visits to the US. Form DS-160 is electronically submitted through the Department of State website. Consular officers assess an applicant's eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa through a personal interview in addition to processing the visa application using the data entered on the DS-160.

As part of the DS-160 form, individuals must also attach a photo. The required format for the photo is as follows:

• The photo's color- The image must be color, not just monochrome.
• Size of the Photo- Verify that the entire head is shown in the picture, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. Place the head in the middle of the frame. The subject of the picture should be facing the camera with a neutral expression. A 2-by-2-inch photo is required. The head should be between 1 and 1 3/8 inches tall. Verify that the eye height is situated between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the picture's bottom. Between 50% and 69% of the image's total height must be accounted for by the top of the head, including the hair, to the bottom of the chin. The ideal eye height for an image is between 56% and 69% of its height.
• When should the photograph be taken?- It must be taken against a plain white background, no later than six months, and show them as they currently appear. If the photo was taken more than six months after the applicant submitted their application and has a different appearance, it will not be accepted.
• Clothing for the photo- The photo needs to be taken with people dressed in their typical daily attire. All clothing worn daily for religion is acceptable, but uniforms should not be shown in their picture. People who wear hats or headbands for religious reasons must make sure that they are not hiding their faces behind them or creating shadows on them.
• Electronic devices- It is not appropriate to have headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar objects in the picture. People may have hearing aids or similar items in their pictures if they wear them regularly.
• Eyeglasses- Except in very rare cases where eyeglasses cannot be removed for medical reasons, eyeglasses are no longer permitted in new visa photos. In these circumstances, a medical statement that has been signed by a healthcare provider is required.

Scheduling an Interview

All applicants for any type of US visa, with the exception of those under 13 and those 80 years of age or older, must appear in person for an interview. Individuals can make an appointment for their interview at the US Consulate or Embassy located in their home nation. The length of time it takes to schedule an interview depends on the location, time of year, and type of visa, so applicants should apply as soon as possible. People should find out how long they should expect to wait at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for an interview appointment for a nonimmigrant visa. In addition, applicants for the F-1 visa must pay a non-refundable application fee of USD 185, if applicable.

Documents Required for the Interview Process are as Follows:

• Valid Passport
• Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page.
• Application fee payment receipt
• Photo
• Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students, Form I-20 or Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status for Vocational Students, Form I-20
• Academic preparation proofs
• Evidence of individual's intent to depart the United States upon completion of the course of study.
• Proof of financial resources to pay for educational, traveling, and living expenses.

Appearing for the Interview

After the student has gathered the necessary documents and paid the application fee, the next step is to appear at the interview location. A consular officer will interview the person to find out if they meet all the requirements to enter the United States. As part of the application process, ink-free digital fingerprint scans are taken. The consular officer may decide during the visa interview that a person's application needs additional administrative processing, reject, or accept it.

Waiting for the Decision

If the visa is granted, applicants might have to pay a visa insurance fee and arrange for their passport and visa to be returned to them. This fee varies from country to country. Applicants need to be aware that entry into the United States is not guaranteed by a visa. Permission to enter the United States may be granted or denied by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the port of entry. The inspection process's components related to immigration, customs, and agriculture will be handled by CBP agents.

Upon presenting their passport, visa, and Form I-20 at the port of entry, an individual will be assessed by a CBP official to determine their eligibility for entry into the United States. The CBP official will give them an admission stamp or paper Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, once they are permitted to enter the country. Students on F-1 visas are not permitted to enter the United States earlier than 30 days before the start date of their program.

Steps to be Taken to Extend the F-1 Visa in US

For reasons related to their studies, health, or mistakes made by a designated school official (DSO), students might need to extend their F-1 status. DSOs may be able to extend a student's program of study in certain situations before the program end date listed in SEVIS. An extension of up to a year is permitted by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

• To apply for an extension of their F-1 visa, students must first go to the SEVIS website and search with their SEVIS ID number.
• Once that is done, they need to visit the student information page and look under the Actions column for the "Extend Program" option.
• Users can view and enter the necessary data for a student's program extension on the Extend Program page. The New Program End Date must be entered by students. This date has to be later than the present one, and it must include an explanation of the academic or medical circumstances that call for the extension. For the new data to be submitted, click Extend Program. An Update Successful page appears if the program extension is successful.
• The choice to "Print I-20" or "Return to view record" will then be presented to students. They are free to select based on their needs.

Working While Studying in USA

F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment only after their first academic year.

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)- An alternative study program, internship, cooperative education program, or other kind of mandatory internship or practicum that is provided by a sponsoring employer through a U.S. college or university is known as Curricular Practical Training (CPT). It can only be accessed before the degree program is finished.
• Optional Practical Training (OPT)- Applications for up to a 12-month OPT work authorization are accepted from students both before and after they graduate from college (pre-completion) and post-completion.
  1. Pre-completion OPT- After completing one full academic year of lawful full-time enrollment at a college, university, conservatory, or seminary that has been approved by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to enroll F-1 students, students may apply to participate in pre-completion work experience (OPT).
  2. Post-completion OPT- Following their academic pursuits, students can apply to take part in post-completion OPT. Students must work full-time or part-time (at least 20 hours per week) if they are approved for post-completion optional paid time off.
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT)- After completing their optional practical training (OPT), some F-1 students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are eligible to apply for a 24-month extension. The student must have received OPT, hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an institution accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education, and be certified by (SEVP).

Any off-campus training job for F-1 visa holders must be relevant to their field of study and approved by the Designated School Official before beginning work. The next step for students is to apply for a Social Security number.

What is a Social Security Number?

Those who are permitted to work in the United States are typically given Social Security numbers. Social Security numbers are used to verify an individual's eligibility for Social Security benefits and to report an individual's wages to the government.
How to apply for a Social Security number?

• The Social Security card application (SS-5) must be completed by students.
• The student's valid foreign passport must have the current admission stamp on it.
• Students are required to present a letter from their designated school official containing their name, employer information, and a description of the kind of work they are or will be performing.
• The employment letter, which must include information about the student's job, employment start date, hours worked thus far or to come, supervisor's name, and phone number, must be signed and dated by the supervisor of the student.
• Students who are approved to work in curricular practical training (CPT) must present their Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (Form I-20) with the employment page filled out and signed by an official from their school.
• Within ten business days, students must present their foreign birth certificate as proof of age. Other documents, such as their passport or a DHS document, are also taken into consideration if they are unable to produce their foreign birth certificate.

  Some Things to Remember

  • When attending their visa interview, students are required to provide the consular officer with their Form I-20.
  • Students can enter the US only if 30 days or less are remaining before their school's start date.
  • List of SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.) approved schools
  • A student with an F-1 visa cannot work off-campus at any time during the first year of study; however, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) may grant permission to accept off-campus employment after one year (or 2 semesters during the Internship).
  • No permission is required for on-campus employment [which can be a maximum of 20 hrs/week and 40 hrs/week in the summer semester (if not enrolled)].
  F-1 student visa Interview Questions