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You will need to apply for a student visa if you wish to study in the US but are not a citizen of the US. Make sure you start putting together your application for a US student visa well in advance – at least three to five months before your course is scheduled to begin. Applying for a student visa in the US often involves a number of processes. It’s crucial to check the guidelines on the website of the embassy or consulate where you intend to apply as these stages differ at each US embassy or consulate.
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When requesting a US student visa, prospective students typically go through five stages:
Choose a school and program that are recognized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program of the US government if you are an international student (SEVP).
Accreditation is crucial because it guarantees that your degree will be accepted by other colleges, organizations for professionals, companies, and governmental agencies all across the world. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and the paperwork required to submit an application for a US student visa are only available to students enrolled in institutions that have received SEVP approval. To find accredited universities check here.
You must submit separate applications to each college you are interested in because the US does not, in contrast to several other nations, have a centralized system for handling university applications. You must meet the admissions requirements of each institution, and you often must also show that you have the necessary financial resources.
When you are accepted by a school, the institution will register you in the SEVIS system and send you a document generated by SEVIS called a Form I-20 if you qualify for a F or M visa or a Form DS-2019 if you qualify for a J visa.
Foreign students with F and M visa classifications are managed by the SEVP, but international students with J visa classifications and exchange visitor programs are handled by the Department of State (DoS). To manage and oversee institutions, exchange visitor programs, and international students, SEVP and DoS employ SEVIS.
At least three days before filing an application for a US visa, you must pay the SEVIS fee. You must submit a paper or online form in order to pay the cost. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) SEVP website provides access to both. Make sure to provide the necessary information precisely as it appears on your DS-2019 or I-20 form.
Check here to pay the required fee
The I-901 cost is currently $200 USD for F/M visa holders and $180 USD for J student visa holders. J visa holders who are working as au pairs, camp counselors, or in summer work/travel are required to pay $35 instead. The website provides instructions for a variety of payment methods, such as Western Union Quick Pay, checks, international money orders, and debit or credit cards. After paying the charge, you can visit the website again to see if your payment was received. The cost may also be paid on your behalf by a third party (such as your sponsor). If the charge is paid on your behalf, the third party should provide you with a receipt.
After processing your payment, you can always download and print a payment confirmation from the website. At your US student visa interview, you’ll need to present this confirmation as proof of fee payment. If you ever change your non-immigrant status or if you’re asking for any other US immigration benefits, you can also be asked to provide the confirmation to the customs officer at your preferred US Port of Entry.
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You can schedule an appointment with a US consulate or embassy in your country to apply for a US student visa after receiving your SEVIS form and paying the SEVIS fee. Regardless of when your program is scheduled to begin, it is best to apply as early as possible because visa processing times can change. Your visa may be granted up to 120 days before to your scheduled arrival in the US.
The majority of nations have their own specific websites for everything related to applying for a student visa. The US embassy and consulate in Nigeria is located at Abuja and Lagos respectively, click here to get the exact address.
Filling the Online visa application, DS-160.
It’s a simple process yet disastrous if a mistake is made. You must always complete Form DS-160, Online Visa Application. You must decide where you want to apply from and make sure you have all the necessary paperwork and information to complete the application. You will be directed to the form’s pages after choosing and responding to a security question. You can locate your application ID at the top. If you need to leave the application and come back to it later, you’ll need this ID to retrieve your form. You’d need the following personal information to apply:
You must also post a recent photo of yourself that is appropriate. Check the requirements for the photograph here. If your photo upload is unsuccessful, you will need to provide a printed photo during your visa interview that satisfies the standards.
If you make any mistakes, you could need to reschedule your visa interview, so take care to provide exact and complete answers to all of the questions. If you have any questions while filling out the application, you can look them up on the travel.state.gov website.
Click the “Sign Application” button to digitally sign your DS-160. You will receive a confirmation page with a barcode, barcode number, and your application ID number after your application has been submitted. You must print this page out and bring it with you to your visa interview appointment. It’s not necessary to print the entire application.
The Machine Readable Visa Fee, or “MRV charge,” is another name for the visa application fee. Please carefully read the fee payment instructions posted on your embassy or consulate’s website as there may be differences in the methods. However, there are typically three methods for paying the non-refundable, non-transferable visa application fee:
When you arrive at your scheduled visa interview, you will be required to present the MRV fee receipt. If they are enrolled in a US Agency for International Development (USAID) program or a federally supported educational and cultural exchange program with a program serial number beginning G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7, some J visa applicants won’t be required to pay application processing costs.
Arranging and attending a visa interview is the last step in obtaining a student visa for the US. You can accomplish this by phoning the American embassy or consulate that is most convenient for you online or over the phone. In either situation, you should first pay the MRV fee because you might need to provide your MRV fee number.