Steps to Getting Your Visa

If you are in the US

If you are in the US on another visa status and are interested in applying for a student visa, view change of status information International Services, or contact International Services for more information on changing status.

If you are outside of the US

If you are outside of the US please carefully read the following information. All international students must have a visa in order to enter the US.  Once you have received your immigration document, you are ready to move forward in applying for your visa.

Citizens of Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas and residents of certain other islands do not need a visa to enter the U.S., but must show their I-20 or DS-2019 when entering the United States.  Be sure to pay and process the SEVIS fee before appearing at the U.S. Port of Entry; you will not be able to pay this fee at the Port of Entry).

Complete the following steps:

  1. Make an appointment with your local embassy or consulate to apply for your visa. Check here for an estimated wait time for your visa appointment.
  2. Complete the following forms:
    1. DS-156 Non-immigrant Visa Application Form
    2. DS-158 Contact Information and Work History for Non-immigrant Visa Applicant
    3. If a male between the ages of 16 and 45, DS-157 Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application
  3. Pay the visa application fee by following instructions on your local U.S. embassy or consulate website.
  4. If your I-20 or DS-2019 has been issued to start a new program of study, you will also need to pay the SEVIS fee.
  5. Students studying under the F visa are required to pay $200. Students studying under the J visa must pay $180. Please visit this website to pay the SEVIS fee. (If you are applying for J-1 status and you are sponsored by the U.S. government, you are not required to pay the SEVIS fee.)

    If you are transferring schools, extending your program, applying for an F-2 dependent visa, or have paid this fee and been denied a visa within the last twelve months, you do not need to pay.  Click here for SEVIS Fee Payment Options.  You must bring the receipt of SEVIS fee payment with you to the visa interview.

  6. Prepare and bring to your visa interview the following:
    1. A passport valid for at least six months
    2. Form I-20 (sign the form under Item 11) or DS-2019
    3. School admission letter
    4. Completed visa applications (DS-156, DS=158, and, if applicable, DS-157)
    5. Two 2 inch X 2 inch (or 5.08 cm X 5.08 cm) photographs in the prescribed format.
    6. A receipt for the visa application fee
    7. A receipt for the SEVIS fee, either the one you received in the mail or the one you can print from the Internet, depending on which method of payment you used.
    8. Financial evidence that shows you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period you intend to study.
    9. Any information that proves that you will return to your home country after finishing your studies in the U.S.  This may include proof of property, family, or other ties to your community.

Students wanting to enter the U.S. on another visa status should confirm that they can legally study on that visa type before entering the United States.  Please be advised that if you enter on a B visa or a F-2 visa, you will NOT be able to pursue a course of study.  Please email any questions to International Services.