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In order to enter the United States
on a student visa, you must have an I-20 (certificate of eligiblity
for students) and a passport that will be valid for at least six
months past the expiration date on the I-20.
Your I-20 will be sent by express mail to you after we have
received your application materials. It is very important that you
apply as early as possible to the English Language Center, so you
can receive your documents quickly.
SEVIS Fee
Before you can make an appointment at the Embassy or Consulate
for a visa appointment, you must pay the $100 SEVIS fee. There are
three ways to do this: electronically, by mail or by Western Union.
Please see "Before
Applying for a Visa" for more information.
Visa Interview
All visa applicants are required to be interviewed. You must make
an appointment with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for an in-person
interview as early as possible. June, July and August are the busiest
months, so it may be more difficult to get an appointment during
this time.
It can take up to two months to receive a visa, so please plan
ahead. Obtaining a visa is more difficult in some countries than
others.
Be Prepared For The Interview
The officer is required to think of you as a person who plans to
stay permanently in the U.S. The interviewer only has a few minutes
to make a decision about you. The officer will want to know why
you want to study English in the United States. Why is it important?
Will you study another subject after you complete your English study?
Which subject? Why do you need to learn English? You must also show
that you have strong ties to your country and will return after
you complete your studies. If the officer decides that you will
not return to your home country, you will be denied a visa. Take
as much documentation as you can – family ties, property,
jobs, monetary ties, etc. The interviewer may ask strange questions,
but you must answer them.
If your visa is denied, you can reapply. Be prepared to show additional
information. You should try at least twice. If you need more information,
please see www.state.gov, http://unitedstatesvisas.gov
or www.usdoj.gov.
SEVIS
SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System)
is the government tracking system. SEVIS requires:
- Name as it is on your passport
- Country of birth and country of citizenship
- Birthday
- Level of education
- Major and degree
- Date you must be in the US to begin your studies
- Expected date of completion of studies
- Cost of studies, including living expenses
- Permanent address in your home country
- Address in the US, once you arrive
- Any change in name or address
- Registration dates for each term
- Failure to maintain status or failure to enroll
- Failure to report to school if you entered the US
- Disciplinary action
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Once you are registered in SEVIS, it is important to maintain your
status because the penalties can be severe.
In most cases, the student who has not maintained status must
leave the country or apply for reinstatement. Reinstatement is a
long process that does not guarantee success. For this reason,
it is important that you maintain your status. It is your
responsibility, but the ELC will help you as much as we can.
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