VISA Requirements for Foreign Students
According to the United States’ Department of State, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, such as a tourist visa, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence.
Types of non-immigrant visas valid for study in the United States: Most non-immigrant foreign students planning to study in the United States for a prolonged period, must have an F-1 student visa. Students seeking the F-1 visa may solicit the visa at the US embassy in their country of origin and travel to the US once that visa is awarded, or if they are already in the US on another type of visa, (such as B-1/B-2) they may apply to USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration Services) to adjust/change their status to F-1 for purposes of study. Any international students planning to enter the United States for short periods of recreational study (for example, a two-week semi-intensive English program while on vacation or any period of study for three months or less), may simply use a Visitor (B-1/B-2) visa for that purpose.
Before you can apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for an F-1 student visa, you must first apply to and be accepted by a SEVIS approved school, which will provide you with the I-20 document required for solicting an F-1 visa. Lingua Language Center is approved by U.S. Federal law to enroll non-immigrant foreign students in the school’s Intensive English Program.
To obtain the I-20 form you must: complete the Lingua enrollment application, supply Lingua with identification (valid passport), three months of current bank statements (liquid assets) showing movement in the account, as proof that you have sufficient funds to pay for your studies and personal expenses for your duration of stay. Example: funds for one student with no dependents for one year of study should show a minimum of $15,000 in bank funds for the year (add $4800 in funds per dependent per year). If the student has a sponsor who will be providing the funds, the sponsor must submit a notarized statement and the aforementioned bank statements on behalf of the student.
How to apply for an F-1 student visa
There are several steps to apply for an F-1 student visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you apply. Please consult the instructions available on the embassy or consulate website where you intend to apply at the U. S. Department of State’s website.
Step 1
Apply to an approved U.S. SEVP-certified school such as Lingua Language Center. To apply you must complete the enrollment application and supply Lingua with ID (valid passport) and three months of current bank statements.
Step 2
Receive the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status with all the information the U.S. government needs about your term of study (level and field of study, dates to begin and complete your studies, and your ability to pay for your education).
Step 3
Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee. In addition, pay all non-refundable registration + administrative fees to Lingua Language Center ($500) and tuition fees upon due dates, as applicable. *Tuition costs and payment arrangements may vary by location.
Step 4
With a valid passport and the I-20 form, apply for an F-1 Student Visa at the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy. Please consult the instructions available on the embassy or consulate website where you intend to apply at the U.S. Department of States’s website.
Step 5
If your Student Visa has been approved and it is stamped in your passport, then you can purchase your plane tickets.
Changing your Status to F-1 to study English in the United States
When you are already in the US on another type of visa and later want to stay for purposes of study, you may apply to USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration Services) to adjust/change your status to F-1. There are several steps to apply for an Change of Status. Please consult the instructions available on USCIS’s website.
Step 1
Apply to and receive acceptance from a U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school (refer to list of schools of which Lingua Language Center is one of them).
Step 2
Obtain a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status, from the SEVP-certified school. The Designated School Official (DSO) should give change of status in the Issue Reason section of the Form I-20.
Step 3
Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee. In addition, pay all non-refundable registration + administrative fees to Lingua Language Center ($500) and tuition fees upon due dates, as applicable. *Tuition costs and payment arrangements may vary by location.
Step 4
File a Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, with USCIS. You may wish to retain the services of an attorney to file this form and follow up on your case for you.
Step 5
Once you have been advised of approval of your application and granted F-1 status, you must notify Lingua Language Center immediately to begin classes.
Please note that being accepted by a school does not guarantee that you will be granted a student visa but it will put on the path towards obtaining a student visa. After you are accepted at Lingua, we will send you the I-20 form, which you will need in order to obtain an F-1 Student Visa. As part of the student visa process, you will need to show that you have sufficient financial resources (scholarships, sponsorships, loans, grants, subsidies, family or personal resources) available to pay for your studies and living expenses.
Before you can be issued a student visa, you must have a current passport from your home country, and it is your responsibility to make sure this passport stays valid throughout your stay in the United States. If your visa is due to expire during your stay in the US, you must apply for an extension to keep it valid.
For additional information, questions about fees for student visas and the experience of studying in the USA, please visit these websites sponsored by the United States Department of State:
SEVIS Fees
How to Study in the States
Higher Education in the U.S.
