| After
you are accepted to a school in the U.S., your school should
send you Form I-20, which you will need in order to obtain
an F-1 student visa. You will need to show that you have sufficient
financial resources (scholarships, loans, grants, subsidies,
family or personal resources) available to pay your school
and living expenses. For some students this may seem an insurmountable
task. Do
not be discouraged, though, because there are ways to overcome
this hurdle. It is possible, for example, to have a guarantor
– someone who will vouch for (guarantee) your ability
to pay your way through school. Sources of financial
aid may also be available to help you. There are ways
for determined students to see their way through school. For
more details, see: Paying for
School: Financial Aid.
The completed
I-20 form will include all the information the U.S. government
needs about your term of study, including your level of study,
your field of study, the dates you are expected to begin and
complete your studies, and your ability to pay for your education.
You will also be issued an I-20 ID with your I-20 form. This
second page is your official form of identification and you
must have it with you at all times when you are in the United
States.
Valid Passport
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 States, you must apply for an extension to
keep it valid.
The F-1 Visa
With a
passport and the I-20 form, now you can apply for an F-1 visa
at the nearest
U.S. Consulate
(for
full eligibility and application procedures, see:
Student
Visas).
After you are given this visa (which will be stamped on your
passport), then you can purchase your plane tickets. This
visa allows you legally to enter the United States.
The I-94 Card
When you
do enter the United States, you will receive a white I-94
card attached to your passport. This card indicates the date
of your arrival and how long you may stay in the U.S. Your
date of departure will probably be marked with the notation
"D/S", which means duration of status. This notation
essentially means you are welcome to stay in the United States
as long as you are a student in school with valid and, if
necessary, updated papers.
You will
have to remain a full-time student for your status to be valid.
For undergraduate students this means enrolling for no less
than 12 hours per semester and for graduate students, nine
hours per semester.
Additional Information & Links
For more
details, including information on bringing your spouse and
children with you, what you should do if you would like to
transfer to another school, and more, see Student
Visas (in the Visas and Immigration area of our website).
For specific inquiries, contact your nearest
U.S. Consulate.
  
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