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A Guide for International Graduate Students 2009-2010

A.  VISA APPLICATION

Student Visa (F-1 or J-1) and SEVIS Fee

In order to enter the U.S. as an F-1 or J-1 student, you are required to have, in addition to the I-20/DS-2019, a valid passport and a student visa stamp (a label pasted onto a page of your passport permitting you to enter the U.S.). Canadian citizens are not required to have a visa stamp to enter the U.S., but they are not exempt from paying the SEVIS Fee. Applicants for F-1/J-1  student visas using documents to begin a new program are required to file form I-901 and to pay a $200 (F-1 students) or 4180 (J-1 students) SEVIS fee BEFORE FILING AN APPLICATION for an F-1/J-1 visa at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The SEVIS fee may be paid by credit or debit card directly on the SEVIS website or by check or money order mailed to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) along with the form I-901.  Further  information about the SEVIS fee and the DHS form I-901 can be found here.

Applying for a Visa

You may wish to contact a U.S. Educational or Information Advising Center in your home country before applying for your visa. The Center can give you valuable information on the application procedures in your country. If at all possible, attend a pre-departure orientation program organized by the center; it will almost certainly include information on applying for a visa. The center may also produce written pre-departure materials. Further information can be found on the Department of State (DOS) website.

Visa applications are made at a U.S.  Embassy/Consulate. It is best to apply for the student visa at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your home country. Generally, students are required to present their passport, a completed visa application form with a non-refundable fee, an I-901 SEVIS fee receipt notice, an I-20/DS-2019 and original or notarized copies of the guarantee of financial support (e.g., your Princeton University admission reply, bank statements, letters of support from family, etc.). All visa applicants must complete forms DS-156 and DS-158.

At some embassies/consulates, a new electronic form DS-160 is replacing the DS-156 and DS-158 forms. Please check the DOS website for more details.

All male nonimmigrant visa applicants between the ages of 16 and 45, regardless of nationality and regardless of where they apply, must also complete a Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-157.

The applications (DS-156, DS-157, and DS-158), the exact application procedures and the amount of time required for processing varies at each U.S. Embassy/Consulate. You should determine these procedures well in advance by consulting the Embassy/Consulate website.

To obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa, the U.S. consular officer must be convinced that you have non-immigrant intent;  that you have a residence abroad that you do not intend to abandon. You may be able to demonstrate this through family, educational, business, or financial ties to your home country. In addition, you should be prepared to answer questions about how your field of study relates to your future employment and career goals. You should be prepared with this documentation for your visa interview. Please check the DOS cable on Student Nonimmigrant Intent from September 2005.

 Visa Denials/Security Clearances

If your visa application is denied, you should request a written explanation of the denial from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The most common reason for visa denial is a failure to demonstrate non-immigrant intent. You may reapply for a visa at a later date. However, it is not advisable to simply resubmit the original application materials. You should only reapply if you are able to submit updated evidence that addresses the reason for the initial denial.  

Visa applicants should also be aware that certain disciplines are considered "sensitive" by the DOS. The Technology Alert List (TAL) describes critical fields which are considered sensitive, and outline procedures consuls must follow in issuing entry visas to prospective students whose areas of study or research coincide with fields on the list. Also, nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria are required to undergo security clearances. The procedures can take several weeks. If your visa application requires a security clearance (the U.S. Embassy/Consulate may call this “additional administrative processing”), your visa will not be issued until the clearance is received. Security clearances cannot be expedited by Princeton University or by U.S. Congressional intervention. Therefore, apply for your visa as early as possible. If your visa application requires a security clearance and it will result in a delay in your arrival, you should notify your academic department and the Office of Visa Services. For more information on the TAL, please consult the latest published version of the DOS telegram.

If the U.S. Embassy/Consulate indicates a problem with your visa application for SEVIS reasons, contact  the Office of Visa Services  immediately.