Student Visas- An In Depth Look

All of us have the equal advantage and opportunity to excel in the field of education. But earning a degree in an American university, there are opportunities galore not only in this country but also all around the world. This being the reason, there are many who strive hard to obtain education in the US. Every year there is a significant number of students who opt for colleges and universities in the US, as many of them in the US are well recognized by the entire world.

Types of student visas:

The US student visas are generally applied for at the US consulate or Embassy for the students who wish to study in the US. The application for visa can be filed after receiving the form I 20. This form I 20 is issued by the university confirming that the applicant is a student of the university which basically admits the student into the US. There are 3 types of student visas.

F-1 visa: This is the most common type of student visas. This is only meant for students who use to enroll themselves in an university or college for educational purpose and also to study the English language

M-1 visa: This is used by the students for the vocational or non academic study in the US university.

J-1 visa: This is generally for cultural exchange and educational programs and is commonly known as the exchange visitor visa.

US Student visas can be applied for 90 days before the date of registration of the I 20 form which was issued by the university. In case of not arriving at the institution at the mentioned date an extension from can be obtained. Generally the student visas are issued in few weeks or even hours after the submission of the application. The issuance of the visa depends on the various factors like the US consulate and time. There may be cases where the visa can be denied in which case the applicant has to follow-up with the US consulate.

The general requirements to apply for student visas include the Form I 20 which is the confirmation from the university and should be submitted along with the student visa application. It is always mandatory to know the English language and a proof has to be submitted. It can be a TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) report. Apart from this the most important aspect is the proof of the financial capacity to meet the educational expenses . The funds of the sponsor can also be shown as a proof of the financial expenses. The US embassy generally gives importance to all the proof submitted in the affidavit. In case the financial support was from the financial institution in the form of a scholarship, it should be mentioned in the I 20 form and if it from the home country, the bank statements should be provided as proof. Finally, proof that you have come only for the purpose of the education should be submitted to the US consulate. On confirming all these the the passport will be stamped by the consulate .

US is the ideal place for students who have the urge to study in one of the recognized universities and settle there. Though the journey towards this seems to be exciting and easy, a lot of patience is required during the whole process.