Just when you are in a mood to celebrate your admits and scholarships, the daunting time of F1 visa filing comes into the picture and to be really honest, hovers over you like you are stepping into the unknown leading to a certain amount of uncertainty and fear even after you have achieved an admit or maybe even a scholarship in your dream university! This article aims at telling you all you need to know about the process of F1 visa filing and what all you need to remember while going for that intimidating interview.
International students who are to attend an academic or an English language program at a US university require an F1 visa. Students applying for an F1 visa must be going for a full time course in a US college or university. As per the F1 visa, a student can stay in the US for a minimum of 60 days or until their academic program ends. They can also extend their stay if they have applied for the OPT program and been allowed to work in the US after the completion of their academic program. Going by the expiration date of their I-20 form, all F1 students are expected to complete their academic program by then. The I-20 form is provided by the US institution the student has been admitted to and is going to attend.
Requirements for F1 Visa
All applicants need to qualify certain conditions for an F1 visa interview. These include Foreign Residence, Sponsoring Institution, Financial Support and Ties to Home Country. Under the criteria of Foreign Residence, the F1 applicant must have a foreign residence to go back to and must also have the intention of returning after the completion of their studies. Under the Sponsoring Institution criteria, the F1 applicant must know that they can attend only that particular college or university through which the visa has been granted. Under the Financial Support criteria, the F1 applicant must produce proofs of adequate financial support; and under Ties to Home Country criteria, the F1 applicant must demonstrate strong ties to their home country during their visa interview. They must talk about their family, financial status, assets, etc that enable the interview panel to build a level of trust on what you are saying about your ties with your home country.
What to Provide with your F1 Visa Application
Here is a list of the basic documents you need to provide during your visa interview. Of course, there may be additional requirements based on the country or embassy you are going to. Firstly, you need to pay a non-refundable admission fee to attend an F1 visa interview. Second, you will require to submit DS-160, which is an online application for non-immigrant visa. Third, all males from age 16 to 45 will require to submit Form DS-157. Most importantly, you will need a valid passport with a validity date at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States. The photos of yourself that you need to provide for an F1 visa form has to be taken in a certain manner. It should be a color photo with a size such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the image’s total height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. The photo should be recent, that is taken within the last 6 months. It should be taken in front of a plain white or off-white background with your full-face view directly facing the camera.
These were the basic requirements an F1 applicant needs to fulfil while applying for the visa. Hope the article helped you and for anything else, you always have Team Study Destinations as your friend in this journey of yours. All the luck!
