International Student Services

Applying for an F-1 Visa

[All information is subject to change without notice.]

Any student entering the United States with an F-1 status must have a valid F-1 visa. The F-1 visa is issued by U.S. Consulates and Embassies abroad, and each Consulate/ Embassy has differing requirements and procedures for the visa application. It is recommended that you apply for your visa in your country of citizenship or permanent residence. It is not possible to renew an F-1 visa while in the United States.

Visit the Web site of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for your F-1 visa. Learn how to schedule an appointment, how many times you can apply for your visa, what specific documents are required, and what procedures must be followed.
Apply for your F-1 visa as soon as possible. Make sure that you allow adequate time for security checks.
Follow the tips below to ease the visa application process.

Documents for Your Visa Application Interview

All appropriate U.S. Department of State forms and documents as listed on the Embassy/Consulate Web site, including your non-refundable visa application fee and photographs.
Valid passport.
UTD I-20 signed by your UTD International Student Advisor.
Information showing admission to a UTD program.
Financial Support Evidence.
Documents proving intent to return to the home country after completion of F-1 status
For students renewing their visa after a stay in the United States: Transcripts from all U.S. institutions attended, support documentation from Academic program, UTD Enrollment Verification letter, all U.S. transcripts, and all previously issued I-20s.

SEVIS I-901 Fee

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before applying for your F or J visa, you may be required to pay a non-refundable $100 SEVIS I-901 fee mandated by the United States government to maintain the SEVIS database and SEVIS-related operations. Since proof of payment will be required at the time of the visa interview at the consular office or embassy, be sure to keep a copy of your payment receipt. The SEVIS I-901 fee does NOT replace the consular visa fee. If the SEVIS I-901 fee is not paid, your visa application will be denied.

To verify if you have to pay the SEVIS fee or to pay the SEVIS fee, click here.

For Canadian Citizens: Canadian students do not need F-1 visas in order to enter the US to study, but they are still subject to the SEVIS I-901 fee. Proof of payment will be required at the port-of-entry. Payments cannot be made at the port-of entry.

INFORMATION ON PAYING THE SEVIS I-901 FEE:

The fee can be paid using the following methods:

By mail: You can submit the I-901 form and a check or money order that has been drawn from a US bank and is payable in US dollars. (Many foreign banks are able to issue checks drawn from a US bank or foreign subsidiaries of a US bank.) A receipt will be mailed to the address listed on the I-901.

By Internet: You can submit the I-901 form via the internet and make the payment using a credit card. A receipt will also be mailed to the address listed on the I-901 form. If you decide to pay via internet, we strongly suggest that you print out a copy of the payment confirmation!

In person: Nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors can also pay the I-901 SEVIS fee using the Western Union Quick Pay(tm) service. Western Union will collect the SEVIS I-901 fee in local currency along with the needed Form I-901 data and electronically transmit the payment and data to SEVP. The properly completed Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof-of-payment for a visa interview at a U.S. consulate and for admission at a U.S. port of entry. This option is available in any country where Western Union offers its Quick Pay(tm) service. The instructions along with a completed sample of the Western Union form can be found on the SEVP website. It is imperative that you read the instructions for this payment option on the SEVP website at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm and bring a printed copy of the instructions and the sample of the completed Western Union form (also on the website) to the Western Union Agent in order to correctly process your payment.

Another person (e.g. relative, friend, sponsor, etc…) can pay the SEVIS I-901 fee for you. However, it is important that you send a copy of your I-20 to this person so that the I-901 form can be completed properly. If the person will be submitting the payment by mail, he/she will need to complete the I-901 form with your personal information and attach a copy of the completed I-901 with the check or money order. If the person will be making the payment online using a credit card, he/she will need to complete the I-901 form with your personal information and print out the payment confirmation.

What to Prove During Your Interview

You intend to return to your home country after completion of your program, and that you do not intend to immigrate to the U.S. You have a residence abroad that you do not intend to abandon.
You have sufficient funds to support yourself for the duration of your program.
You have made academic progress and maintained F-1 status during any periods of study in the U.S.
You have a valid passport.

Security Clearances

Students can experience significant delays due to required security checks. Masters and PhD students in scientific and technical fields are advised to provide detailed information about their field of study when applying for visas, such as a resume, a list of publications including samples and a letter from the academic department addressing the area of research and possible applications of the research. To see the published list of sensitive technical and scientific fields, click here.

Click here to see a detailed article about all security clearances.

Interview Tips from NAFSA

Be prepared to show ties to your home country. Under U.S. law, all applicants for nonimmigrant visas, such as student visas, are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. "Ties" to your home country are the things that bind you to your home town, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. The interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans and career prospects in your home country. Each person's situation is different, of course, and there is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or letter which can guarantee visa issuance. If you have applied for the U.S. Green Card lottery, you may be asked if you are intending to immigrate. If you overstayed your authorized stay in the U.S. previously, be prepared to explain what happened clearly and concisely, with documentation if available.
Expect to speak English during your interview. Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, but do NOT prepare speeches! If you are coming to the United States solely to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.
Speak for yourself. Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family. A negative impression may be created if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf. If you are a minor applying for a high school program and need your parents there in case there are questions, they may wish to wait in the waiting room.
Know the academic program and how it fits with your career goals. If you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study rather than to immigrate. You should also be able to explain how studying in the United States relates to your future professional career when you return home.
Be brief. Because of the volume of applications received, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer's questions short and to the point.
Limit to concise and pertinent documentation. It should be immediately clear to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be quickly read or evaluated. Remember that you will have two to three minutes of interview time, if you're lucky.
Not all countries are equal. Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the United States as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the United States.
Employment. Your main purpose in coming to the United States should be to study, not for the chance to work before or after.

The preceding information was adapted from the NAFSA: Association of International Educators web site.

For More Information

Updated: June 10, 2008