F1 VISA Requirements

Before learning about F1 visa requirements, you should first know what an F1 visa is. An F1 visa or student visa is given to international students and is typically valid for the entire length of the student’s study, with ample grace period. However, they are only allowed to work on-campus jobs and not outside their university or college.

The F1 visa is further divided into two classes; the F visa and M visa. For academic studies, the F visa is granted, while for vocational studies or nonacademic studies, the M visa is granted. As stated above, students with an F1 visa cannot work outside the university or college, but the INS (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service) can actually allow students to work outside their campus after a period of one year.

For on-campus F1 visa employment, no permission is needed to be secured by a student. With the exception of employment required for practical training, students with an M student visa cannot work while studying. Below are the F1 visa requirements you should successfully satisfy.

General F1 Visa Requirements

  • F1 visa applicants should have successfully finished a course generally needed for enrollment.
  • International students should also be proficient in the English language and to properly prove this, must submit along with other F1 visa requirements, their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score.
  • Students should likewise show proof of acceptance from the university or college they wish to attend in the U.S.
  • They should successfully prove that they have ample funds while studying in the U.S. This can be in the form of bank accounts, assets, and proof of property such as a car among others.
  • And, a student should prove to the U.S. consulate that he has legitimate binding ties to his home country or legal country of residence to ensure that he will be returning to his home country after his studies in the U.S. or before his F1 visa’s expiration date.

F1 Visa Requirements – Documents

  • For academic and language international students, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F1 students or I-20A-B form, and for nonacademic or vocational international students, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F1 students or I-20M-N form. In relation, you should pass a SEVIS generated I-20 form you can get from your schools. This form should be accordingly signed by your school and yourself.
  • A non-refundable application fee. Whether you get in or not, you will not get the money back. You need to submit the MRV receipt to show proof of payment.
  • A fee receipt for the SEVIS I-901.
  • The form DS-160 or Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application.
  • The application form DS-156 available at the U.S. Embassy for free.
  • The form DS-157 for F1 male students from the ages of 16 to 45.
  • A colored 2X2 photo with a light background and showing your full frontal face view and without anything on your head.
  • A legal passport with a U.S. visa and a validity date with 6 months or more beyond your intended length of stay in the U.S. for your studies.
  • You should also be able to submit your original GMAT, GRE, SAT and TOEFL scores, as well as graduation certificates and mark sheets for students who want to get a Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. Scores for other standardized tests and extra courses should also be presented.
  • For students who want to get a Ph.D. in the U.S. however, they should also be able to submit original copies of their undergraduate degree transcripts or mark sheets.
  • In the event that minor children or a spouse wishes to accompany the F1 student applicant to the U.S., proof of relationship to the student must be submitted. These can include birth certificates, marriage certificates, and wedding photographs among many others.

Tips on Increasing Your Chances of Getting an F1 Visa

Now that you know all the F1 visa requirements, it is now important that you show the U.S. Embassy how legitimate and dedicated you are as an international student to increase your chances of obtaining an F1 visa.

  • You have to show to the U.S. Consulate that you have a logical and solid study plan. To illustrate, let’s say you have a B.A. in Music at your home country and then you want to apply at a Computer Science university or college in the U.S. In some instances, this is generally okay, but you need to have solid answers when asked why your past degree and the degree you’re applying for are so far apart.
  • Show them that you have done a thorough research of all possible schools that you can apply to such as correspondences, printouts, brochures, etc. Likewise, show them a list of your top choices, why and the ones who accepted you, what school you chose and why. This will clearly show the consul how serious you are in your studies. In addition, show proof of offers from schools you have been accepted to, scholarship, or grant privileges, whenever applicable.
  • The school’s reputation is also a big factor. The higher the ranking of the college or university you selected, the higher your chances are of obtaining an F1 visa. Allegedly, U.S. consular officers have been quoted stating that they have not and will never dismiss an F1 student visa application of someone trying to get into Stanford or Harvard.

 

On the other hand, it is a given that not all wish to go to Harvard and not all can get in, however, you should pick a school with a high ranking or one considered better than schools in your home country to enhance your chances of being granted an F1 visa.

Additionally, a cover letter with clear points and information on all your supporting documents is also great addition. Overall, now that you have the F1 visa requirements down pat, you can now rest easy and be confident when you are granted an interview.