Cost Of F1 Visa For Usa
The United States Department of State released an updated set of fees for various Consular services provided. As a result, the cost of F1 Visa has increased to $536 if you are paying it on your own.
Anyone traveling to the United States of America as a non-tourist needs a visa. You can get that Visa stamped on your passport in the form of an “F1 Visa” (as its referred to). The F1 visa is considerably expensive but it’s required if you want to study or work in the US. The aim of this article is to explain the factors influencing the cost of obtaining an F1 Visa.
Getting a student visa for studying in the USA is one of the most important steps you could take to get started on achieving your goals in life. A student visa makes it possible for you to study and live in a foreign country for an extended period of time. The F1 Visa, besides making it possible for foreign students to study in the US, does come with its share of benefits, but there are also certain restrictions that you must keep in mind.
Cost Of F1 Visa For Usa
The F1 visa is a type of nonimmigrant visa that allows its holder to study at a U.S. college or university. This visa also applies to those seeking to study at an accredited non-academic institution in the US as well. The F1 visa is just one of multiple student visas offered by the US government.
How to Apply for an F1 Visa?
To application process for the F1 visa goes through the following steps:
- Get your admissions documents from the SEVP institution.
- Apply online through the DS-160 form.
- Pay the application fee.
- Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.
- Schedule your F1 visa interview.
- Submit the file with the F1 visa required documents.
- Attend the student visa interview.
Get your admissions documents from the SEVP institution
After you apply and are accepted into the school you want to attend, they will have to complete some procedures so that you can apply for the F1 visa. The most important document you need to have is Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. Without this form, you will not be able to apply for an F1 student visa and attend your interview.
Apply online through the DS-160 form
After you get your Form I-20, you can start the usual application process. This includes filing the DS-160 form online with the necessary information about your visa status.
Pay the application fee
The application fee for the student visa is $160. You must pay this fee and get the receipt, which you will need later for your interview documents. You might have to pay additional fees based on your country of origin and the US Embassy you are applying from.
Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee
When you are admitted by the SEVP institution, your school immediately registers you in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). To have full registration, there is a SEVIS I-901 fee. For the F1 visa, this fee is $200.
Schedule your F1 visa interview
After filing the DS-160 form and paying the fees, you will need to schedule your interview. The interview is a mandatory step before you get your student visa. Try to schedule it as early as possible, since there might be delays due to the heavy workload of the US Embassy. When you schedule it, you will receive an interview appointment letter which you will need later on in the application process.
Submit the file with the required documents
Before you go to attend your interview, you should prepare your file with the required documents for students.
Attend the student visa interview
When you go to attend the student visa interview, the questions will mostly revolve around your reasons for going to the US and the institution you are going to. The interviewer will try to assess whether you intend to return to your home country after you complete your degree.
F1 Visa Validity
When your visa is approved, it might be for the full time that you will be in school in the US, or for less. If your study program takes 1 year to graduate, the Embassy will most likely give you a visa that is valid for 1 year If your degree program is 2 years and you only get the visa for 1 year, you should then later apply to renew it. In this case, it is the best option to renew the F1 visa.
The validity of your F1 visa is for as long as it is stated on your I-20 form and I-94 form which is given to you when you enter the US.
If you are renewing your visa you should follow the same procedure. You might be able to waive the interview on the reason that you have already done it once and your intent is to continue your education for the remaining years to get your degree.
If your visa is approved, you are allowed to depart for the US 30 days before your program begins. You cannot enter the US any earlier than that.
F1 Visa Processing Time
In most cases, you will get the response on this visa immediately after the interview. At the end of the visa interview, the interviewer might congratulate you for getting the visa or will provide you with a document letting you know the reason for denial. This is because the processing of this type of visa actually happens before your interview. The interview is the last step for the US Embassy to assess whether they should issue the visa.
There are, however, cases where the response and processing of the F1 visa takes a few days, so you should be patient if that happens.
When Should I Apply for the F1 Visa?
After you are admitted into the institution of your choice, you can apply for the visa 120 days before you are scheduled to start your program. You cannot apply any earlier, but applying later might cause you a delay due to processing times. So as soon as the 120-day countdown begins, make sure you submit your application.
Can I Stay Longer Than My Visa Allows?
After your visa expires, you have a 60 day grace period to prepare for your departure to your home country. If your visa doesn’t cover the whole time that you will be in school in the US, you will have to apply for renewal or extensions. The extensions are approved only if you can prove you will be completing your degree in the US and you intend to return as soon as it is over.
Can I Work as an International Student in the United States?
You may work as an F1 student but only for short periods of time since your visa is a student and not a work visa. You are allowed to work part-time on campus while school is in session and full time during breaks. If you want to work outside of campus, you have two options.