The F-1 visa is the most common student visa related to collegiate study in the United States. It offers foreign students nonimmigrant status to attend an academic institution or language-training program approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Spouses and minor children of a foreign national with an F-1 visa may apply for an F-2 visa to accompany the student to the United States. A visa doesn't permit entry to the United States. A visa simply indicates that a U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate reviewed your application and determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.
The visa application process can be confusing for many reasons. There are many bureaucratic steps to meet the requirements of several different government agencies involved in the decision to admit a student entry to the United States to pursue an education. You might be asking yourself all sorts of questions!
If Immigration and Custom Enforcement approves the school, why do I have to apply to the Department of State for the visa?
If the Department of State gives me a visa, why do I have to ask Immigration and Custom Enforcement for permission to enter the country?
Confused yet? The experience can be very frustrating, and some students find it difficult to remember which form goes to which department. To simplify the process, let's first look at the visa application process step by step. Government requirements can often change, but a successful application process in 2011-2012 would typically look like this:
1. Student submits an application to an American college or university. The college must be approved by SEVP, a government agency overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
2. The college admits student and issues a Form I-20 to the student.
3. Using information from the Form I-20, the student submits a Form I-901 and application fee to SEVP.
4. SEVP issues the student a payment receipt for the fee.
5. When the student has both the Form I-20 and the SEVP payment receipt, he or she schedules an interview at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. A consular officer will decide whether to recommend a visa for the student.
6. The Department of State issues a nonimmigrant visa to the applicant (F-1, M-1, or J-1).
7. Student travels to a port-of-entry in the United States. An ICE officer reviews the visa documents and admits student to the country.
The visa application process can be confusing for many reasons. There are many bureaucratic steps to meet the requirements of several different government agencies involved in the decision to admit a student entry to the United States to pursue an education. You might be asking yourself all sorts of questions!
If Immigration and Custom Enforcement approves the school, why do I have to apply to the Department of State for the visa?
If the Department of State gives me a visa, why do I have to ask Immigration and Custom Enforcement for permission to enter the country?
Confused yet? The experience can be very frustrating, and some students find it difficult to remember which form goes to which department. To simplify the process, let's first look at the visa application process step by step. Government requirements can often change, but a successful application process in 2011-2012 would typically look like this:
1. Student submits an application to an American college or university. The college must be approved by SEVP, a government agency overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
2. The college admits student and issues a Form I-20 to the student.
3. Using information from the Form I-20, the student submits a Form I-901 and application fee to SEVP.
4. SEVP issues the student a payment receipt for the fee.
5. When the student has both the Form I-20 and the SEVP payment receipt, he or she schedules an interview at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. A consular officer will decide whether to recommend a visa for the student.
6. The Department of State issues a nonimmigrant visa to the applicant (F-1, M-1, or J-1).
7. Student travels to a port-of-entry in the United States. An ICE officer reviews the visa documents and admits student to the country.
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