To enter the United States as a student, you must apply at a US Embassy or Consulate . You are required to make an appointment in India to submit the file in US Embessy or Consulate. You can submit the file only after you receive the requisite I-20 or IAP-66 form from the institution you have been accepted to. The information outlined below is designed to help you to understand the file process.
There are several students who apply for study in USA to complete their higher education or any professional degree course. As a student ,he/she is generally required the course of study is for more than 18 hours a week. Applicants can request for information regarding students application at any of the US VFS Application Centre situated in eleven cities across India. There are several procedures that one has to go through in order to get a study permission for the United States of America.
Types of Study program in USA
Candidates who wish to study in the United States have to submit the file at any of the US VFS Application Centre located in India. There are primarily two types of categories for study in USA. These are F-1 (Student program) and J-1 (Exchange Visitor program). The F-1 program is meant for students who have enrolled for a full-time academic or language program. These students can stay in the US for the complete duration of the academic program plus 60 days.
The other type of Study program is J-1 , which is issued for candidates requiring practical training that is unavailable in their country of residence in order to complete their academic program. J-1 students are required to compulsorily return to their home country for at least two years subsequent to the end of their studies in the United States.
Documents required for the file process :-
There several important documents that needs to be furnished when applying for a Study in USA. Here is a list of the documents required for submit the file:-
A Valid Passport: – A student needs to have a valid passport. It has to be valid for at least 6 months after the day the student appears for embessy interview.
A Demand Draft: – A demand draft (D/D) has to be made on the name of embassy.
The Embessy Fee: – For submit the file in the embessy or consulate , you have to pay the embessy fee either in cash through D/D.
The Application Form: -After the Embessy fee you have to obtain the application form and it’s should be a Non-Immigrant Application Form. The application form requires a 37mm * 37mm color photo with a white/light background and the place of residence that is where you will stay after reaching there is also asked in this form.
The I-20 Form, Letter of Admission and Aid letter: – A student has to fill the I-20 form and complete the student and school copy and need to sign them. Student has to carry along any correspondence with the University that he feels is significant.
Exam scores: -Student has to take original copies of GRE and TOEFL scores and need to produce when asked.
Financial Documentation: – Student needs to produce all the original documents that were used to evaluate the funds. Some of the documents used for evaluation are-
the Tax returns of parents, salary certificate, bank passbooks, bank FD receipts, company FD receipts, share certificates, property documents, gold evaluation and any other document that student may has used.
Sponsor’s Letter: – Student needs to obtain a letter from his sponsor (generally parents) stating that he/she/they will provide for the complete expenses for the entire course of study.
Documents required for F-1 program
If student’s interview is at the U.S. consulate in Mumbai, he will need to submit some of the documents in advance to VFS, as listed here. The rest of the documents should be carried to the interview.
Mandatory Documents
Passport
One Photograph
Confirmation page of online submitted Form DS-160 with CEAC bar code
Embessy fees
Original Interview appointment letter and one copy
Both pages of the bar coded, original SEVIS generated Form I-20 obtained from U.S. college, school or university and signed by student and a school official and one copy of Form I-20
Original proof of payment of SEVIS Fee Receipt I-901 and one copy, if applicable
Supporting Documents
Photocopies of front page, last page and remark pages of current passport.
Proof of liquid assets sufficient to pay for the entire first year of education and living expenses as well as proof of readily available funds to cover the remaining year(s) of studies.
Proof of ability to afford school in the United States.
Notarized Form I-134 (Affidavit of support), if student is financially supported by an individual in the United States.
In case a student has taken a loan, the official documents which verify the loan approval.
Original degree certificates along with mark sheets.
Original Bachelor degree transcripts or high school diploma along with mark sheets from previous institutions attended.
Relevant test scores, e.g., TOEFL and SAT, GRE, GMAT or LSAT.
Working during study:
Work permit rules: – During first 9 months of study international students are allowed to work on campus part time. International students can work only up to 15 hours/week while school is in session. When classes are not in session (vacation), they may work full time, or 30 hours per week.
After 9 months they need to take permission from university to work off campus.
Spouse cannot work fulltime. They have to obtain work permit from USA to work full time.
After completion of studies students are allowed to stay in USA on OPT (Optional Practical Training) generally for one year whereas students of Science and Engineering get OPT of 27 (twenty-seven) months, during that duration students need to convert their status from student to work permit (H1B) which can later on be converted to Green card.
