Student Visa (F-1 Visa)
     Free Step-by-Step Guideline

Today, because of security reasons, getting a US visa has become much more difficult.  This sparks rumors regarding visas, such as the importance of chance in the process of obtaining F-1 visa. Our expert's experience proved this is wrong. We believe that by way of precise and required documents and professional documentations, you can easily obtain student visa.

www.applyadvice.com has been created to help you attain the information about visa policy and procedures quickly and easily. While individual experience may differ, here we provide you the steps you should follow and what you can expect throughout the process.

 General Information before Preparing Your Documents

When you are starting to get ready for F-1 visa, it is important that you know what information would be useful. You should think about the visa process as what it is. The following information and tips about the visa process will help make your vision closer to the truth:

• All student visa applicants are considered as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to prove that you have deep ties to your home country that make you more interested to returning home than remaining in the United States. "Ties" to your home country could be job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take since each person's situation is different.

• You should be aware that a visa interview usually lasts an average of three minutes, so you must be prepared to be brief, yet convincing.

• You should be able to explain how studying in a particular university or program relates to your future professional career when you return home. You must prove to the visa officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate. Therefore, you should convince the visa officer with the reasons you have to attend a particular university or program.

• What you say first and the initial impression you create are vital to your success.

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What Satisfies the Visa Officer?

In order to issue your visa, the consular officer must be satisfied on following three essential facts:

1) Provide evidences that you are a scholar student

2) Provide evidences that you are able to pay for your education, your living expenses, and the expenses of anyone who may accompany you with F-2 visa

The visa officer must be satisfied that you will not take a job out of school since it is illegal according to US laws. Provide strong evidences of financial support (any scholarships, grants, or loans you have been awarded, and of your sponsor's finances, especially sources and amounts of income).

3) Provide evidences that your ties to home are so strong that you will return home after your study.

Don't Miss the Last Step, getting student visa for entering United States.
                       

Required Documents

Fundamental information in this section is mentioned in official web site of Department States of United States. www.applyadvice.com gathered and summarized required information along with inserting experts' tips for your convenience.  

All student visa applicants must have following documents. You can use it as a check-list for preparing your documents. 

The applicant should provide all of these documents in a minute when the consular staff asks for her/his Application Fees' receipt and DS-Forms.

There is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or letter which can guarantee visa issuance. But, sorting documents in the following way, would be the most excellent. It helps consular to search whatever s/he requires with no trouble. Therefore, s/he would not get confuse and it helps you to have a simple interview. Our expert's experience proved that categorization and sorting documents in the following manner would maximize applicant's chance for getting visa.

Besides these documents, applicant should have any additional documents that officer might ask for. You should organize your extra documents. Well-Organizing your documents helps you to be prepared and rapidly giving the consular any documents s/he asks for.

Here are the most important Documents:

1. Current, valid passport
2. Application fees
3. Application Forms
4. Photograph
5. The form I-20
6. Evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States
7. Evidence of compelling social and economic ties abroad
8. Evidence of Language Proficiency

1. Current, valid passport- A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States.
2. Application fees-    Each applicant for a student visa must pay a nonrefundable US$100 application fee. Some applicants, according to nationality and type of visa, must also pay an issuance fee.
3. Application Forms- An application Form DS-156, together with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed and signed. Some applicants will also be required to complete and sign Form DS-157. A separate form is needed for children, even if they are included in a parent's passport.
4. Photograph. Requirements are strict for photograph size, type and quality. Check with your nearest consulate for specifications before you get your picture taken. Applicants should submit their Nonimmigrant Visa Application, DS-156 with the new photo format, as explained in more details at www.applyadvice.com.
5. The form I-20- To apply for an F-1 student visa, you must have a valid I-20 form; Your U.S. University will send you the appropriate form after you have been admitted and after you have certified your available finances. You are not required to provide the visa officer your admission letter or other university materials. Your I-20 form shows everything and providing useless extra documents can only make him/her confused. However, these documents should be kept on hand, in case the need for them arises.
6. Evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States-An applicant must provide documentary evidence that sufficient funds are, or will be, available to defray all expenses during the entire period of anticipated study.
7. Evidence of Language Proficiency- In this section, the applicant should put his/her scores of English exams such as TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, and etc.
8. Evidence of compelling social and economic ties abroad- The fact that a student’s proposed education or training would not appear to be useful in the homeland is not, in itself, a basis for refusing an F-1. It may, however, be a relevant factor in the overall assessment of the likelihood of the alien’s return. This may be particularly true where F-1 coursework is advanced far beyond local needs.

Most Probable Questions that US Consulate May Ask

Usually, officers all over the world ask same questions in student visa interview. We gathered a list of most probable questions that the visa officer may ask. The applicant should train before the interview and be prepared to answer these likely questions. These questions are in three major topics:

• Academic Questions
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• Financial Questions
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• Ties to the Home
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Don't Miss the Last Step, getting student visa for entering United States. The complete guideline of "Student Visa (F-1)" will help you to gather, organize, and prepare necessary documents to most appropriately satisfy visa officer and cover his/her expectations. Being aware of what you are going to be questioned, will definitely maximize your chance of getting visa. You can find all information in complete guideline of "Student Visa (F-1)".