Applying for Your Visa (Students) — USC OIS

[Photo] Tree-lined campus walkway with landscaped gardens and a brick academic building as a person rides a bicycle past while others walk in the background. Long afternoon shadows and sunlight filtering through the trees create a bright, park-like setting.

Applying for Your Visa (Students)

If you’re applying for an F-1 visa, you’ll receive a Form I-20. If you’re applying for a J-1 visa, you’ll receive a Form DS-2019.
Every international student or exchange visitor who wishes to begin an “initial” program of study or research must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You will need information from your USC Form I-20 or DS-2019 when paying the fee. Print the fee payment receipt to present at the visa interview and at the U.S. Port of Entry.
Visit the U.S. Department of State’s website to complete the application. Find out more about the required documents below.Here are some tips for completing the application:

Use only the “back” and “next” buttons that are part of the application — not your web browser’s arrows.

Be as accurate as possible with any questions asked.

Do not submit the application until it is complete.

At the end of the online application, print the confirmation page with the barcode, as it is required for all phases of the interview.
To obtain the most current and accurate information on the visa application and interview process, international students should review the website of the U.S. consulate or embassy where they will schedule their visa interview.

Check out the interview tips below to prepare.
You will need these documents:

Original I-20 or DS-2019

Valid passport

F-1 or J-1 student visa stamp in passport*

SEVIS fee payment receipt

Financial documents consistent with Form I-20 or DS-2019

*Canadian and Bermudian citizens do not need to obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa to study in the United States. However, they must present a valid passport, a USC-issued Form I-20 or DS-2019, proof of SEVIS fee payment and evidence of financial support at the U.S. Port of Entry where they are admitted in F-1 or J-1 status. They must satisfy all standard admission requirements at the U.S. Port of Entry to be admitted in F-1 or J-1 status.

Required Documents for a Visa Application

In general, all applicants for a student visa must provide the following documents.

	F-1 Students	J-1 Students
All four pages of USC Form I-20	✔
Both pages of USC Form DS-2019		✔
Confirmation receipt showing completed nonimmigrant visa application Form DS-160 with the assigned ID number	✔	✔
Passport valid for at least six months after the proposed date of entry into the United States	✔	✔
Visa processing fee payment receipt	✔	✔
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt	✔	✔
Proof of funding for amounts listed on the I-20 or DS-2019	✔	✔

⚠ Don’t Forget: Double-Check the Name on Your Passport

In addition to being valid for at least six months after the student’s proposed date of entry into the United States, the student’s passport should:

Have a name that accurately reflects the student’s formal name.
Have a name that is broken out into separate lines for the given (first) name and the family (last) name, unless there is only one name and no family name.

How to Prepare for a Visa Interview

To obtain a student visa, you will need to attend an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Be brief. Interviews are typically around five minutes long. Because of this, it’s best to keep answers and explanations short and to the point.
Speak in English. Practice interviewing in English with a native English speaker. Being fluent and confident will help you during the interview. However, avoid preparing a speech.
Speak for yourself. Having parents or others speak on a student’s behalf does not make a good impression on the consular officer, so make sure to make your case independently.
Keep documents organized. It should be immediately clear to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be read or evaluated quickly.
Stay positive. Do not argue with the consular officer and avoid coming across as rude or sarcastic, even if the visa application is denied.

[Photo] Three students sit around a conference table with laptops and notebooks while one student gestures during a discussion in a meeting room. Framed posters line the wall behind them, and computer monitors and office supplies are visible on the table.

How to Show Ties to Your Home Country

Occasionally, students are denied visas if the consular officer is not sufficiently convinced of their intention to return to their home country after completing their studies. This is based on Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act that states: “Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status…”

Applicants from countries facing economic problems, or from countries where many nationals have remained in the United States as immigrants, will have more difficulty obtaining visas. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their stay in the United States.

This means that international students must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that they have a “permanent residence” or “strong ties” to their home country, thereby demonstrating that they do not intend to immigrate to, or obtain residency or citizenship in, the United States. Fortunately, a visa denial is not permanent and can be reversed if the student can show new, irrefutable evidence.

Here are some ways to demonstrate strong ties to your home country:

Convince the consular officer that the sole (not just primary) purpose of the visit to the United States is to pursue a program of study.
Outline post-graduation plans upon returning to your home country.
Document family ties, business interests and assets in your home country.
Discuss job prospects in your home country upon completion of a U.S. education.

Once you submit your visa application, we recommend making your social media accounts public, as the U.S. Department of State now reviews publicly available social media content as part of the visa screening and vetting process. Keeping your profiles public can help avoid delays or additional scrutiny during processing.

[Photo] Group of students pose together for a picture in front of a colorful illuminated “SPARK!” display at an outdoor evening event while another person photographs them with a smartphone and ring light. String lights, trees and other attendees are visible in the background.

What to Do if Your Visa Application Is Pending or Denied

Students who are not able to enter the United States in time for USC’s Welcome Trojans Orientation due to visa delays or denials should contact the Office of Orientation Programs and their academic department to alert them of the delay.

In general, a student cannot arrive more than one week after classes start and still be enrolled for that semester. Students who may be more than one week late will need to work with their academic department and the admissions office to defer their attendance to the next semester. The Graduate Admissions office will then assist students with getting an updated Form I-20 or DS-2019.

Visa applications may be in pending status due to security clearances being performed by the U.S. Department of State. There are often longer delays for security checks in China and Iran. It is not possible to expedite the security clearance process, and USC is unable to intervene on the student’s behalf.
Common reasons for a visa application denial are:

Section 221(g): Lack of required documentation.

INA 214(b): Failure to demonstrate eligibility for the visa category being applied for (insufficient “ties to home country” is a possible reason).

If you receive a denial:

Request written documentation for the reason of denial if you don’t get a letter explaining why the application has been denied.

Politely ask the officer how to improve your chances for next time and what additional documentation should be provided to reverse the denial.

Thank the consular officer and take down their name for future reference.

Do not get upset or argue with the consular officer.

Applying for Your Visa (Students) — USC OIS