International Students - Apply for a U.S. F1 Study Visa

About

F-1 status is the most common type of status used to study in the United States. F-1 status is for full-time academic and language students who are pursuing a degree or certificate. If you require a U.S. study visa as a foreign national, you will need to apply for an I-20 with Millsaps unless you are an ISEP student coming on a J-1 visa or if you have another type of visa that allows you to study in the U.S.

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Obtain Your I-20 From Millsaps College

• Apply for admission to Millsaps College. You must have an offer before receiving an I-20.
• Complete the Financial Support Form to receive an offer of admission.
• Fill out the International Student Verification of Financial Support (PDF form) and send proof of financial support (e.g banking statements) along with your sponsor signature, if applicable to internationaladmissions@millsaps.edu. Students applying for an F-1 visa must show that enough money is available to pay for at least the first year of their degree program, as well as the estimated living expenses for any dependents. This amount must be available for each additional year of study.

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Pay the SEVIS Fee

• Complete the form I-901 at www.fmjfee.com. Be sure to write your name exactly as it appears on your I-20 form and your date of birth in month/day/year format.
• The form requires the “School Code.” Millsap’s School Code is NOL214F00109000.
• The form will also ask for your SEVIS Identification number. This number is in the upper right-hand corner of the I-20 and begins with N and has 10 digits.
• Choose first-class mail or expedited delivery. The credit card form has a place for the cardholder’s address. You do not need to fill this in, as it is not a required field.
• Print at least two copies of the online receipt.

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Schedule a VISA Interview

• Follow the US Embassy/Consulate’s instructions to schedule an interview for a student visa application. Visit www.usembassy.gov for a list of US Embassies. You can acquire your visa up to 120 days before the program start date listed on your I-20 form. Please note that interview availability and processing times. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so you are not delayed from arriving to the U.S.
• Be sure that the consulate knows that you are applying for a student visa as student visa applications are given priority.
• Complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application.
• Pay the visa application fee by following the instructions on your local U.S. Embassy/Consulate’s website.

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Checklist for your VISA Interview

• Passport valid for at least six months into the future.
• Form I-20.
• Completed DS-160 visa application.
• 2X2 photograph - visit the State Department website for specific photo requirements.
• Receipts for payment of SEVIS and visa application fees.
• Financial documents. (You will need to prove to the visa officer that you have enough money available to pay for at least the first year of your degree program. The visa officer may also ask you how you intend to pay for the rest of your education and expenses, too.)
• Admission letter and copies of all education documents you presented to Millsaps in order to be admitted.
• Be prepared to explain your degree program at Millsaps, your reasons for wanting to participate, and any information that helps to establish your nonimmigrant intent.
• Any additional information listed on the consulate’s website.

Note: You can enter the US no earlier than 30 days prior to the program start date listed on your I-20.

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Additional Resources

studyinthestates.dha.gov

travel.state.gov

usembassy.gov

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