VISA Guidelines

How do I apply for a Student Visa?

Students leaving for the United States need to hold an F-1 visa. This indicates that you are a single student, with no dependents the documents to be enclosed along with the duly filled visa form before the visa interview are as follows:

1. 1.Admit letter: The admit letter is sent by the University, which has granted admission to you. You have to enclose both, i.e., the student and university’s copy duly signed by you. Hence, when you receive an admission letter from the University, you should check it thoroughly. In case, there is any mistake in the same, concerning name, nationality, or any other error, you should immediately contact the college or University, and request a fresh document, with the corrections duly made. You cannot apply for the visa without an admission letter.
2. 2.Passport: You should ensure that the passport is a valid one.
3. 3.Fee: This amount is non-refundable irrespective of whether you get or not get a Visa.

What are the documents required for the interview?

You need to carry all original documents during the interview. All of the following documents must be in separate clear plastic folders and NOT in files and all in ORIGINAL. There are two kinds of documents :

• Academic Papers
• Financial Papers

What are the financial documents required?

The Visa officer needs to ascertain your ability to pay the entire educational expense. This includes tuition fees, boarding expenses, and other miscellaneous expenses that you will incur in the country, you intend to study. Ideally, you will need to show the expenses for the entire length of your education.

Note: You need to produce these documents even if you have applied for financial aid.

These documents include:

• - I -T returns of your sponsor for the past 5 years.
• - Passbook / Balance Statement and Certificate from your bank stating the bank-balance.
• - Statement from a Chartered Accountant, listing all assets (movable and immovable) of yours and your parents and the sponsor (if parents are not the sponsors).
• - Original documents of the certificate, issued by Chartered Accountant.

• Potential Immigrant: Every consulate officer who interviews considers the candidate as a potential immigrant, hence, you have to be convincing enough that you will return to India after completing studies. For instance, if you have dependent parents in India, who may have sponsored you or if you have a business in India then you may not be treated as a potential immigrant.
• Insufficient Funds: You must show enough financial resources to cover your educational costs. If the Visa officer is not convinced of the fact that you have the funds to pursue your education, he will reject the Visa application.

THE NEW STUDENT VISA DROP-BOX

The new student visa procedure requires that all students first apply through the Drop-Box. While many will be issued Visas without an interview, some students will still be required to appear at the Consulate for a personal interview. If a student is requested to appear for an interview, the main benefit of the drop-box procedure is that an officer will have already reviewed the case, and the interviewing officer will be better prepared to make an informed decision at the Visa interview.

The Visa interview has long been a source of mystery, confusion, and nervousness (and myths) for students. What questions will they ask? Why did my friend get the Visa and I did not? Why didn’t the officer review all of my documents? When conducting interviews, the Visa officers are merely trying to determine if the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for a student visa. They have very little time to conduct the interview and must assess quickly whether the documents and answers establish the visa applicant’s eligibility. The questions consular officers ask are based upon these criteria and are designed to help the officer quickly determine a student’s eligibility. Any documents submitted by a student, especially financial documents, are only useful if they can be rapidly examined for the relevant information.

So, how does one apply by drop-box?

Good news — it’s easy! First, assemble the following documents:

• A valid passport.
• The fully completed and signed visa application form (OF-156).
• One front-facing photograph, size 37 mm x 37 mm, and less than six months old.
• Demand drafts for the appropriate fees.
• Original I-20 from the University.
• Original TOEFL scores and SAT/GRE/GMAT scores (as applicable).
• For prospective Master’s degree students, original Undergraduate degree.
• Certificate and mark sheets (if the original degree or mark sheets are unavailable, please submit provisional certificates and/or photocopies); Bachelor’s degree students may show their most recent mark sheets or graduation certificate, as applicable
• Proof of funds.
• Preferred documentation includes 6 months of bank records, employment letter(s) of sponsor and/or chartered account statements. Students who have obtained bank loans may also provide a letter from the bank stating the same. Additionally, students who have pre-paid any fees may provide a receipt and or a letter from the university stating the same. Students receiving aid from their prospective University, that is not indicated on the I-20 should provide a letter from the University stating the nature and amount of aid to be provided.
• Optional cover letter: Students with any special circumstances may also wish to explain the form of a cover letter. Once the documents are in order, simply proceed to the nearest Drop-Box location. TT Services, the Consulate’s authorized courier agent, maintains offices in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
• Processing time takes approximately 8-10 business days, so it is important to allow enough time before the prospective university’s reporting date. We wish to remind all students that they may not apply earlier than 90 days before the reporting date.

Visa Fees

Confirming a visa interview appointment online, you need to pay the following fees and obtain a Visa Fee Receipt from HDFC Bank. When going to HDFC Bank, please carry with you a photocopy of the 1st page of the applicant’s passport.

Please note: If you are an Indian citizen resident in the US, to obtain a Visa Fee Receipt from HDFC Bank, please fax a copy of your passport’s data page to the person in India assisting you. That person will have to submit the fax to HDFC Bank to get a fee receipt issued.

The fees payable at HDFC Bank per passport are: –

• Visa Application Fee (MRV Fee): US $131 payable in INR equivalent at the consular exchange rate. Visa Application Fee at the current exchange rate (Rs. 50/-) is Rs. 6,550/-.
• This fee is payable in cash or by DD/HDFC Bank cheque favoring,‘US Embassy – Visa Fees’. DDs issued by cooperative banks are not accepted.
• Service Charge: Rs.374/-, which includes VFS’ service charge Rs359/- and Bank service charge Rs15/- (inclusive of Service Tax @ 10% and Education Cess Tax @0.30%).
• This fee is payable in cash or by DD/HDFC Bank cheque favoring ‘HDFC Bank a/c VFS’. DDs issued by cooperative banks are not accepted.

IMPORTANT: The fee receipt gets activated 2 working days from the date of issue. Do not attempt to take an appointment till then.

The above fees are not refundable. You must appear for an Interview within a year (365 days) from the date you purchased your fee receipt from HDFC Bank. If you do not appear for an Interview within one year after the purchase of your fee receipt, it will no longer be valid. The receipt is deemed as utilized once the interview has taken place, and cannot be used to make a subsequent appointment.

For more information on Student Visa Procedures:

Student Visa – USA

www.usembassy.org.uk

Student Visa – Australia

www.immi.gov.au
www.monash.edu
www.intstudy.com

Student Visa – Canada

www.vec.ca www.cic.gc.ca

Student Visa – UK

www.education.gov.uk