Passport

Each applicant must have a passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date that extends at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay. If more than one person is included in the passport, each person applying for a visa must make a separate application.

Photograph

Each applicant must provide one photograph 1 and 1/2 inches square (37x37mm), showing full face, without head covering, against a light background
Evidence of financial resources

Applicants must provide evidence that shows they (or their parents who are sponsoring them) have sufficient funds to cover their tuition and living expenses during the intended period of study. Applicants or sponsors who are salaried employees should bring income tax documents and original bank statements. Applicants or sponsors who own a business should bring business registration, licenses, and tax documents, as well as original bank statements. For more information on financial requirements, see the Financial proof section.

A student's spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 also can apply for visas to come with the student to the US. Applicants who wish to bring dependents with them to the US must also provide marriage and/or birth certificates as proof of the relationship with his spouse and/or children.

In addition, student applicants may also be required to provide

• Transcripts and diplomas from schools they have attended.

• Scores from standardized tests required by the US school such as the TOEFL, SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc.

Important Points to Remember When Applying for a Student Visa

English

Anticipate that the visa interview, if you have one, will be conducted in English, not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview. Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular official will want to interview you, not your family. You create a negative impression if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf.

Academics

Know the academic program to which you have been admitted and how it fits into your career plans. If you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the U.S. consular official that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate. You should be able to explain how studying in the United States relates to your future professional career when you return home.

Be Concise

Because of the volume of applications received, all consular officers are under considerable pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute or two of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer's questions short and to the point.

Supplemental Information

It should be clear at a glance to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be quickly read or evaluated. Remember that you will have two to three minutes of interview time at best.

Financial Documentation

If you are receiving funding from your U.S. university, your home university, your employer, or from the government, be prepared to present the appropriate letters or documents that verify this funding. If your financial support is coming from personal or family funds, bank statements alone are seldom considered credible enough evidence to demonstrate sufficient finances. Only when coupled with highly credible documentation, which can substantiate the source (for example, job contracts, letters from an employer, tax documents, pay stubs, or deposit slips), will a bank statement be accepted. Bank statements are most credible if they are a series of reliable, computer-generated, ordinary, monthly bank account statements.

Employment

Your main purpose for coming to the United States is to study, not for the chance of work before or after graduation. While many students may work part-time during their studies, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program. If your spouse is also applying for an accompanying F-2 visa, be aware that F-2 dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the United States. Be prepared to say what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the United States. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

Do not engage the consular official in an argument. If you are denied a student visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal and for the reason you were denied in writing.