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Most non-U.S. citizens who wish to study in the United States will seek an F-1 (non-immigrant) student visa, but there are other visa types that are sometimes authorized for those who study in the U.S. Here is a short description of the different visa types that involve study:
A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request permission from the U.S. immigration officer to enter the United States. It does not guarantee entry into the U.S. For more information about the definition of a visa, as well as policies and procedures regarding visas, please visit Destination USA.
Most of the procedures and requirements for applying for the various types of student visas, as well as for the exchange visitor visa, are standardized and are described at the websites referenced in the "learn more" links provided above. Some procedures vary from country to country. For example, the way to pay the visa application processing fee and how to make an appointment for an interview varies. For details on applying for a student or exchange visitor visa in the country in which you are located, please visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you. If you have specific questions about visas that are not answered by the U.S. Embassy website, please contact the EducationUSA advising center nearest you for individual guidance.
EducationUSA Advising Center Workshops about Visas
Some EducationUSA advising centers offer workshops about the visa application process. If the advising center in your country offers such a workshop, you should sign up to attend. It is important to know all you can about this extremely important element of your proposed study in the United States. EducationUSA advisers communicate frequently with U.S. consular officers and will be able to help you prepare for the visa application process and the visa interview.
Please visit www.educationusa.state.gov/ for current information about application steps.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), administered by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is an Internet-based system that maintains data on foreign students and exchange visitors before and during their stay in the United States. For more information about the SEVIS program, visit the ICE website.
In order to enroll students from other nations, U.S. colleges and universities must be approved by the School Certification Branch of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Most U.S. institutions of higher education have received this approval.
U.S. immigration law governs the entry of all visitors to the United States, including students and exchange visitors. It details what they are authorized to do during their stay in the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the agency responsible for ensuring that these visitors comply with U.S. law and regulations. When you arrive in the United States, you, too, will come under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security, and one of the three units within DHS responsible for non-U.S. citizens: the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau.
On your plane to the U.S. or when you arrive in the U.S., you will receive a Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record). Please safeguard this form; it contains the official record of your stay in the United States. For more information about arriving in the U.S., see, "Arriving at a U.S. Port of Entry --- What a Student can Expect ," or, " Arriving at a U.S. Port of Entry --- What an Exchange Visitor can Expect ," on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.