Source: Parth Vijayvergiya

It is a dream of every student to study in USA. The sheer amount of quality colleges like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Harvard University and Stanford Universityin USA are appealing to new aspirants. But, getting admission in these universities require study VISA issued for the USA. In this article, we will help you by explaining how to apply for F1 VISA for the USA and the various documents you must keep ready beforehand to make the application smooth.

Also read : The Ultimate Guide to F1 Visa Interview Tips

What is the F1 VISA?

There are various types of VISA you can apply for, which differ in the permissions they provide to you. For example, B1 VISA is used to allow people participating in some conventions and meetings, while P VISA is given athletes, artists and support personnel who visit the USA for some performance. But, if you are planning to go to the USA for study purposes, then you must apply for F1 VISA.

This Visa is provided to those students who wish to obtain admission in academic studies in the USA approved colleges, universities, and schools. Another requirement is that the student pursuing the program should be an approved English language platform. It is given to a student if his course comprises of more than 18 hours of study time per week. But you are only limited to 12 months of validity for the concerned institution. Also, students may lose their Visa validity if they have a break in studies for 5 months or more unless the break is due to some international work related to their course.

Check Out: Documents required for F1 VISA Interview

What documents are required for F1 Visa Interview?

Before you start packing your bags for the USA, you need to obtain a study Visa. The application for this Visa requires some documentation to be presented to ensure that you are going to the USA for legal purposes and not aiming to stay there as an illegal resident. Following are the basic required documents to initial verification:

Offer letter

1. Pay application fee
2. Academic documents till date
3. IELTS/TOEFL Score for all level admission
4. Passport
5. Work Experience (If any)
6. SAT for Undergraduate admission
7. GMAT, GRE admission for Master’s degree
8. University/College Application form
9. I-20 Issuance time 4 to 6 weeks

Visa Documentation

1. I-20 (Admission letter)
2. All academic documents (Grade 10 to latest)
3. All Character, provisional or migration certificate
4. Proficiency certificate (IELTS, SAT, GRE, GMAT or any required)
5. Recommendation Letter minimum 2 as reference
6. Relationship Certificate with Sponsor and Family Member
7. Sponsorship Letter from Sponsor
8. Statement of Purpose
9. Bank Balance certificate & Transaction (6 months preferred)
10. Property Valuation
11. Income Source like Salary, House Rent, Land Lease, Agriculture, Vehicle, Business income from Audit report etc.)
12. CA Report
13. Police Report
14. Certificate of extracurricular activities
15. Pay SEVIS fee and Visa interview from Nabil bank
16. Go for the interview with payment receipt and SEVIS paid receipt.

Financial Documents required for F1 VISA Interview

In order to verify that you are able to financially support yourself during your stay at the USA, you are expected to present some financial documents before your Visa can be issued. Here is a list of documents accepted for financial verification:

1. Affidavit of Support from Sponsor
2. C.A. statement
3. Every item stated in the C.A. statement
4. Proof of assets enough to pay for the first year of education and other expenses.
5. Bank statements of Sponsors
6. Income tax papers of Sponsors for the last three years
7. Income Proof of Sponsor. This may include an appointment letter or payslips/salary certificates.
8. The original balance sheet of the business of last three years
9. Proof of assets declared in C.A. Statement including fixed deposits, shares, PPF, investments.
10. Proof showing amount that can be redeemed against assets like shares, LIC Policy, Provident fund etc.
11. Proof of Ownership, agreement of sale, share certificate for all assets declared in C.A. statement.
12. Original Valuation Certificate(s) from Chartered Engineer

Note for the DS160 form: DS160 application cannot be reused. A new DS160 application has to be submitted each time the applicant applies for the Visa Interview.

SEVIS Fees: All prospective F students are required to pay the I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Fee before scheduling the appointment, and the Department of State issues you a Visa.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is an Internet-based system that tracks F, M, and J Visa participants and their family from the time they receive their initial documentation until they complete or leave their program.

Cross reference with your U.S. school to make sure your information has been entered in SEVIS. A separate SEVIS fee in addition to the Visa application fee must be paid. For students with Form I-20, the SEVIS fee is US$200. For students with Form DS-2019, the SEVIS fee is US$180. Visa is issued after presenting the proof of payment. However, applicants participating in a U.S. Government sponsored programs, whose codes begin with G-1, G-2, G-3, G-7, are not required to pay the SEVIS fee.

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Planning to Study in USA get a shortlist of best universities according to your profile for studying in USA

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Documents required for F1 VISA Interview to the USA

Getting USA Study Visa is quite cumbersome and needs a lot of documents to ensure a smooth process. Before you become eligible for interview, you are supposed to completely verify yourself. Hence, you are going to need the following documents:

Set 1: Personal Information Documents

1. Current and all the previous passports
2. MRV Fee Receipt
3. Interview Appointment Letter
4. DS 160 Confirmation Slip
5. SEVIS Fee Receipt
6. Passport Size Photograph

Set 2: Educational Documents

1. Class 10^thand 12^th Mark Sheets and Certificates
2. SAT/GMAT/GRE Scorecard
3. TOEFL/IELTS Scorecard
4. Degree Certificate or Course Completion Certificate

Set 3: Work Related Documents

1. Joining Letter
2. Salary Slips of last six months
3. Relieving Letter

Set 4: Financial Documents

1. Loan Approval Letter (in case you have taken loans)
2. Saving Bank Account Statement of last three years
3. Fixed Deposit Certificates of last three years
4. Tax Returns of the past three years
5. Property Documents

Also Read:

List of Documents required for F1 Visa Interview

VISA Interview is the last step in your journey to reach the USA. Your documents will help in this process. There may be times during the interview where the Interviewing Officer may not be convinced by your reason for visit to the USA. It is this time where you show him a document to get his trust. Here is the list of documents you must have at the time of the F1 Visa interview process. It’s always advisable to carry all of them, even though these are a lot of them.

Mandatory Documents Required for F1 Visa Interview

1. Interview appointment letter
2. DS-160 Confirmation Barcode printout
3. Original Applicant’s Copy of VISA fee receipt
4. Original I-20, duly signed and approved by you and the University authority
5. SEVIS Fee Receipt
6. Passport
7. Birth Certificate

List of Academic Documents Required

You must get Degree Certificates made by your college. If the event of college not issuing a Degree Certificate, then you must obtain bonafide certificate which proves you are a student of that college. Here are some of the other required documents which are needed.

1. Original Bachelors / Masters degree certificates
2. Original mark sheets
3. Provisional marksheet for pending examinations
4. Diploma marksheet stamped and sealed diploma transcripts and original diploma certificate
5. Extra- curricular / curricular activity certificates (all originals)
6. Certificates showing professional courses/examinations done along with marksheets (all originals)
7. Research work/project (if any)
8. TOEFL and SAT, GRE, GMAT or LSAT test scores
9. Bonafide certificate from college (in case degree is not yet received)
10. Resume

Also read : How to Get a Student Visa for USA?

Financial Documents for F1 Visa Interview

1. Original Affidavit of Support from Sponsors dated not earlier than 4-5 days before Visa interview date.
2. Original C.A. statement showing a summary of liquid and fixed assets dated 4-5 days before Visa interview date.
3. Original valuation documents of every item stated in the C.A. statement as proof.
4. Proof of liquid assets sufficient to pay for the entire first year of education and other expenses. Also, proof of available funds to pay for the remaining year(s) of studies.
5. Original Bank statements of Sponsors not older than six months dated 4-5 days before Visa interview date.
6. Income tax papers of Sponsors for the last three years.
7. Original proof of income of sponsors like salary certificates for past six months from Visa interview date.
8. The original balance sheet of the sponsor of last three years from Visa interview date.
9. Original proof of all liquid assets declared in C.A. Statement like FDs and PPF.
10. Original letters from respective authorities on their letterhead indicating that possessed mutual funds, shares, PPF, FDs etc. can be redeemed before the maturity date.
11. Original proof of ownership of all fixed assets declared in C.A. statement.

It is advisable to always carry original documents to avoid any case of mistrust between you and your interviewer. Studying in the USA is a dream come true of many students. However, a lot of things have to be taken care of, before going to the USA for studying. Applying for study Visa is mandatory.

For students, F1 is the most popular Visa. Obtaining one takes a lot of time, on time payment of fees and proper document presentation to help the application process go smoothly. Make sure that you present all the required financial documents, educational documents like marksheets and TOEFL/IELTS scores and personal documents like passports and interview letters.

Also Visit:

1. USA Student Visa
2. Australia Student Visa
3. UK Student Visa
4. Singapore Student Visa
5. New Zealand Student Visa
6. Canada Student Visa

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