US Student Visa FAQs and emergency appointments

The US is home to some of the world’s best universities , having said that it also hosts the most international students. Here are the other reasons why studying in the US is the best for your career:

1. Academic excellence: The US boasts of some of the finest universities, a lot of which consistently rank in the world university rankings. As per the QS World Ranking 2023 , five of the top 10 universities are from the US. Similarly, Times Higher Education Ranking has also ranked six of the American universities among the top 10 list of universities.

2. Flexible education system : American universities and colleges offer a myriad of courses and programs to choose from. You have the freedom to not only select the course content, but also the structure.

3. Cultural diversity : The US is a melting pot of different cultures, races, and ethnicities. Its diverse environment ensures that there is acceptance among all communities and there is no room for any sort of discrimination.

4. Vibrant campus life : It’s a known fact that the campus life of the US is matchless. Irrespective of the university you study at, you will find yourself in the midst of new cultural experiences and the American way of life. Embrace it and open yourself up to new ideas and new people.

To apply for the visa, you need an acceptance or offer letter from a US university . Once accepted, the Universities send the necessary documentation to be submitted when applying for a student visa which is also called Form I-20 .

Your I-20 is an eligibility certificate, issued for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP )-certified university or college, stating that you have been admitted to a full-time study program and have also demonstrated sufficient financial means to stay in the US. You can apply within 120 days from the start date of the I-20 and can travel within 30 days from the start date of the I-20.

There are 5 VISA consulates in India. Here’s a list you can refer to at the time of filling out the visa form:

• Chennai

• Hyderabad

• Mumbai

• Delhi

• Kolkata

Processing the visa takes some time, like one week to 10 days to verify the background or for an administration check. At your end, the process takes about two days – one for your visa interview, and another for your biometrics.

Ques 1: What is an I-20 and how do I get it?

The Form I-20 is an official U.S. Government form, issued by a certified school, which a prospective student must have in order to get an F-1 visa. The Form I-20 has the student's SEVIS identification number , which starts with the letter N and is followed by nine digits, on the upper right-hand side directly above the barcode.

Ques 2: How many I20s can I get? Are there any limitations?

You can get as many I20s from the universities as you want and there is no set rule for that.

Read more about the SEVIS Fee

F-1 is the most common type of student visa if you wish to engage in academic studies in the US at an approved school, such as an accredited U.S. college or university. To start the F-1 visa process you will have to fill DS-160 form.

This non-immigrant visa for international students is granted for a maximum of five years. It is issued to students who plan to study in US-based universities, language training programs, colleges, high schools, and other academic institutions.

It’s a non-immigration form; you can complete the form in 30 days, during which time the form would be available online, but it is highly recommended to submit it as soon as you fill it. Once you have completed filling out the visa application form, you will receive a CEAC BAR CODE . This bar code is required for scheduling your visa appointment and paying your visa application fee. Do print the DS-160 barcode confirmation sheet at the end of the DS-160 application. After you have printed it, email the confirmation page to yourself so you have a backup copy.

Ques 1: How early should I apply for my student visa?

Ans: We always encouraged you to apply for your student visa as soon as you have your I-20. To ensure you get an early and timely visa appointment date you should apply as soon as possible. However, a student visa may be issued no more than 365 days before the start date mentioned on your I-20 so check your class start date and within 365 days of the class start date, you can apply for the visa.

Ques 2: I received my visa, when should I travel?

Ans: You may only enter the United States within 30 days of the beginning of the course of the study stated on your I-20.

Ques 3: How much funds do we need to show?

Ans: Students should have adequate funds to furnish for the entire duration of the program, in which, the first-year funds have to be in liquid assets. Income tax return and affidavit of support need to be taken from all the sponsors, and for subsequent years you are free to show other sources of funds like mutual funds/shares/bonds, fixed deposits, property/land, CA-certificates, etc.

Ques 4: Is it possible to have two sponsors showing the funds for the visa?

Ans: Yes, you can show that but it’s important to take an Affidavit of Support and explain properly the bifurcation to the visa officer.

Ques 5: How old financial documents should be valid for the visa Interview?

Ans: There are no set rules, or no such guidelines given by the embassy but as per our experience, it should not be less than 6 months old.

Ques 6: Can I change the university even after booking a visa slot for some other university?

Ans: Yes, You can! Create a new DS-160, fill it in with the SEVIS number of the second university and submit it. Since you have already paid for the visa and scheduled the interview, you just need to log on to your CGI Federal –US Travel docs website and update the information on it by changing the DS -160 confirmation number and SEVIS ID.

Ques 7: I have a sibling in the US. Will it be an issue with my visa?

Ans: Not at all, till the time you can communicate your intention which is to study and stay on campus, it won’t create any hurdles for you. Clarifying your academic goal will help!

Ques 8: I got rejected for a B1 tourist visa/F1 Visa in the past, will it be a problem for my visa approval now?

Ans: Not really. Visa officers surely check the reason for rejection and history, but they do not make decisions basis it. So, you have a clean slate again to build your rapport. Again, I am reiterating that such students should do thorough research about the university, curriculum, program, faculty, reason to study in the US, etc to build confidence with the answers asked by the visa officer, hence you can convert it into approvals.

Students who have to attend a valid education program in the US within 60 days can apply for an emergency visa appointment. But the appointment for this visa will only be given to applicants who have not been denied a US visa in the last six months by the U.S. Consulate or Embassy.

Ques 1: How can we book the emergency visa, is there any time limit to follow?

Ans: This option is limited only to students who are within 60 days of their start date which means the original Form I-20 indicates the start date of the program within 60 days.

Ques 2: How many times can we book an emergency visa?

Ans: Students who are granted an expedited appointment but subsequently refused a visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate will not be allowed to utilize this option to obtain another expedited appointment. So, it’s only one time you can go for an emergency visa. So please use it carefully.

Ques 3: Who can book the Emergency visa or what are the steps?

Ans: Firstly, your class start date should be within 60 days then the student also needs to pay the visa fees for a regular visa appointment to book the regular visa appointment. While booking the regular appointment you will see the option on the left-hand side stating in blue blocks – Emergency Request, select that to proceed.

Ques 4: What are the chances of approval for an emergency visa?

Ans: It completely depends on the embassy and their discretion. Nowadays students are getting approval for emergency visas.

Ques 5: Once my emergency visa is approved, how much time do I have to choose the visa dates?

Ans: You have 5 working days to choose the emergency visa dates.

Ques 6: What are the steps to book an emergency visa?

Ans: As it’s an emergency visa follow every step carefully. Here are the steps you need to follow to book an emergency visa appointment:

• Step 1 : First, your class start date should be within 60 days then, all students requesting an expedited appointment are required to first pay visa fees for a regular visa appointment .

• Step 2: First you must book a regular visa appointment through the USTravelDocs India Website which will redirect you to CGI Federal India Website. Do not worry about the date selected at this stage but be careful to select the correct consulate as this location cannot be changed for the emergency visa appointment.

• Step 3 : After you book your regular visa appointment, then you can see the option on the left-hand side stating in blue blocks – Emergency request .

• Step 4: Once you click the emergency request, it will redirect you to a page with 5 reasons to book an emergency request.

• Step 5: There are 5 reasons mentioned – 1. Medical Needs ESTA Denied , 3. Funeral/Death , 4. Urgent Business Travel and 5. Students or exchange visitors . Choose a valid reason to proceed further.

• Step 6: Click at the end of the page and it will redirect you to another page where students need to select the reason for “ Students or exchange visitors ” a tentative date for travel, and a brief explanation of the emergency. Also, it is important to upload the supporting documents such as I20, DS-160 confirmation page, admit letter, etc. – up to 5 documents can be uploaded.

• Step 7: You will see a confirmation page and then get an email for emergency appointment request decision anywhere between a few hours to 10 days, typically 2 days. The approved request email will have instructions to reschedule your appointment and may include a deadline within which you must reschedule the appointment.

• Note: If you do not hear back from the US Consulate or US Travel Docs within a week, you can reach out to their customer service or email them at their support email: support-india@ustraveldocs.com . You could also write to the US consulates to check whether you may have been waitlisted. It is quite likely that you would get a response. ⁱ

• Step 8: Once you have scheduled your emergency visa appointment and biometrics appointment, the rest of the process is the same as for regular visa appointment.

Sample questions for the US visa interview

Here are some common questions you can be asked at a US Visa Interview:

1. Why this University?

2. Why this program?

3. Please explain and research the University /program/specialization. Explain about courses/specialization/how it will benefit you in achieving your career goals.

4. Who is funding/sponsoring you?

5. Who is going to sponsor your education?

6. What are your plans after graduation?

7. What do you want to do after graduation?

Note : It is important to explain the funds properly with bifurcation. Explain your career goals, what you want to achieve and how the program will benefit you, you may include the prospective job opportunities/roles in India post-international studies.

Studying in the US is a wonderful experience, it’s a hub of academic excellence and is providing ample job opportunities to aspiring professionals. But apply carefully for your visa and go through the visa rules once. Also, if you need any guidance regarding the visa process, you can get in touch with our international education experts.

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html

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