USA STUDENT VISA REQUIREMENTS

As a primary step, you must first apply and be accepted by a US school or university that is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Once accepted, you will receive a Form I-20 from the institution’s international student office, which is a paper record of your information in the database called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Documents required for a US Student Visa

When applying for your student visa for the US, you will generally need:

A valid passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the US (unless exempt by country-specific agreements)
Acceptance at a SEVP approved school and your Form I-20
Application fee payment for the SEVIS
Non-immigrant visa application and the Form DS-160 confirmation page
Your photograph in the requested format, and number
Academic preparation documents such as transcripts, diplomas, degrees or certificates
Evidence that you have sufficient funds to maintain your living expenses throughout the period of your stay in the US. This may include:
1. Bank statements
2. Financial undertaking by a sponsor to cover your accommodation and living costs
3. A scholarship program
Evidence that you will leave the US once you have completed your course of study. This can be in the form of an air ticket out of the US to your home country

You may also have to appear for a personal interview at the US embassy or consulate.

F-1 Student visa

Most students who wish to pursue their studies overseas opt for the F-1 Student Visa. There are three major steps to its procedure, being:

Step 1	SEVIS fee and I-20 form collection	Once you pay the SEVIS fee, you are given an I-20 form from your new school or college. Duly fill the form and bring along for your F-1 interview.
Step 2	VISA fee and form collection	Pay your visa fee at the designated bank and collect the visa form. Duly fill the form and bring along for your interview.
Step 3	VISA interview	Schedule a visa interview with the US embassy in your country. The waiting time may vary depending on the visa type. Once you complete the interview successfully, you’ll receive your visa 120 days in advance.

Applying for your visa online

You’ll have to apply for your student visa application online using the US Embassy and Consulates India website. You can apply up to 120 days before your intended date of the program’s start date. Remember, your application date is the date when your application fee is paid.

Visa Fee

As an applicant from outside the US, you will have to pay US$160 as an application visa fee (do check the latest fee when applying here).

There is now a US$350 SEVIS fee on F and M visa applications and US$220 on most of the J Visa applications, this includes the cost of the computer system which is used to record your stay in the United States (SEVIS).