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How to Obtain F-1 Student Status
The information to follow is
provided to help you get to Columbia in appropriate immigration status
in compliance with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) regulations.
U.S. government regulations require you to attend the school that issues
the visa certificate you use to make an initial entrance to the United
States in F-1 status. Since you plan to enroll at Columbia, please use
our Form I-20. It may be very difficult to transfer to Columbia if you
enter the country using documents issued by another school unless you
have attended the other school full time for at least one academic session.
If
You are Outside the U.S.
Canadian
Citizens - Canadian citizens do not
require an entry visa to enter the U.S. from Canada, but do
require a passport and an I-20 and must follow certain procedures.
How to Apply for an Initial
F-1 Entry Visa
Carefully read and follow these procedures.
Step 1: Make an appointment
at a U.S. Consulate
to apply for an F-1 Student entry visa. You will require the I-20 form
from Columbia University at the time of your appointment. DO NOT MAKE
AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL you have received the I-20 or are sure that you will
have the I-20 in time for the appointment. The ISSO issues I-20's in the
order that complete applications are received, and is unable to rush yours
because you made an appointment too early. Check the following websites
for more information on visa appointments.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php
for information about current wait times for the appointment and for visa
issuance. NOTE that the processing wait times do not include extra time
that may be required for security clearances.
Refer to Potential
Delays in Visa Issuance and at Ports of Entry for more information
regarding security clearances.
http://usembassy.state.gov/
to locate the nearest U.S. Consulate and its instructions for applying
for a visa (including links to required forms). Make a list of documentation
required for the interview. Note procedures for paying the visa application
fee and any visa issuance fees, if applicable.
Step 2: Check your form I-20 for completeness and correctness!
Your I-20 indicates that we have created a record for you in SEVIS (Student
and Exchange Visitor Information System), a national database for international
students and scholars. Your unique assigned SEVIS ID number is in the
upper right corner of page 1. Check to see that all information is correct
and that your expected completion date is in the future.
If you have informed us that your dependents (husband, wife, or children
under the age of 21) will come with you to the U.S., each of them will
receive their own "dependent" I-20 needed for applying for their
F-2 visas and entering the U.S. in F-2 status. If your family name is
different from your dependents, be prepared to show documents that prove
your relationship.
Step 3: Make sure your passport is valid.
When you apply for a visa or enter the U.S., your passport must be valid
for at least 6 months into the future. Some countries are exempt from
this requirement and have their passports automatically extended for 6
months which means that you can use your passport up until the written
expiration date. This rule applies to subsequent entries to the U.S. while
traveling as a student. The list of countries exempt from this rule can
be found at http://foia.state.gov/masterdocs/09fam/0941104x1.pdf.
Step 4: Pay the SEVIS fee ($100) and print the receipt.
Go to the web site http://www.fmjfee.com
and follow the instructions. You will need the I-20 available because
the SEVIS number is required. Print copies of the receipt -you will need
one with you for the visa interview and you should keep one for your own
records. You can only access the receipt at the time of payment so be
sure your printer is working before paying the fee.
If you have been a student in the U.S. and are transferring schools or
beginning a program at a new level of study, it is possible you may not
have to pay the SEVIS fee. Refer to information posted at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/faq3.htm.
Step 5: Complete all required Department of State application forms
DS-156. Everyone
applying for a non-immigrant visa must complete this form. COMPLETE THIS
ELECTRONIC FORM ON-LINE and take a printed copy with you to the interview.
DS-158:
Contact Information and Work History. For all F and J applicants.
DS-157:
Supplemental Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form. Required for male applicants
between the ages of 16 and 45.
Step 6: Refer to step one
and follow instructions for paying any visa fees required in advance of
your appointment. Procedures may vary from country to country, and
even post to post within the same country. Note that application and issuance
fees are based on reciprocity and generally reflect your country's policies
in granting visa privileges to visiting U.S. students.
Step 7: Bring a passport-size photo less than six months old. Check
Nonimmigrant
Visa Photograph Requirements for details.
Step 8: READ! Prepare for your interview appointment by learning
what to expect.
You will be applying for an F-1 student visa, a non-immigrant classification.
According to U.S. immigration law, "Every alien shall be presumed
to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular
officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled
to a non-immigrant status." This means you need to establish that
you have no intention of staying in the U.S. permanently, but are coming
here for a temporary purpose, i.e. to pursue your educational objective.
While the consular officers are aware that it may be difficult for students
to demonstrate strong professional and economic ties to their home countries,
you should still bear this in mind as you prepare for your interview.
In advance of your interview, please read the following:
Obtaining
a U.S. Visa: Published by Department of State
Applying
for a Student or Exchange Visitor Visa: Published by Education USA,
a division of DOS
See
You in the USA: An eJournal published by DOS. Note article "On
the Other Side of the Visa Window", by U.S. visa officer in Cairo
Ten Points to Remember When Applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa
published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, in consultation
with the U.S. State Department. Although published in 1997, these general
points provide good guidance and still are relevant today.
Step 9: Checklist of what
to take with you to your visa interview:
____ A passport valid for at least six months
____ Form I-20 (sign the form
under Item 11)
____ School admission letter
____ Completed visa applications
(DS-156, DS-158, and, if applicable, DS-157) Remember to complete the
DS-156 electronically and take a printed copy with you. Consulates have
advised that the electronic version will speed up the process.
____ A photograph in the prescribed
format (see Step 7)
____ A receipt for the visa
application fee
____ A receipt for the SEVIS
fee. If you have not received an official receipt in the mail showing
payment and you paid the fee electronically, the consulate will accept
the temporary receipt you printed from your computer. If you do not have
a receipt, the consulate may be able to see your payment electronically
if your fee payment was processed at least 3 business days before your
interview.
____ Financial evidence that
shows you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses
during the period you intend to study.
____ Any information that demonstrates
your intention to return to your home country after finishing your studies
in the U.S. This may include proof of property, family, or other ties
to your community.
Step 10. After the visa
is processed, make sure you got what you requested! Check your passport
to be sure you obtained an F-1 visa, and that any dependents obtained
an F-2 visa. Also, be certain that the I-20 was returned to you, as
you must have the original with you when you arrive in the United States.
Sometimes, the document is returned to you in a sealed envelope, which
must be presented to the immigration inspector when you arrive.
Canadian Citizens: Canadian citizens do not require an entry visa to enter the U.S., but DO require an
I-20. All Canadian citizens entering the U.S. by air or sea will be required
to show a passport to enter the United States. Effective December 31,
2007, a passport will be required for ALL entries to the U.S., including
land borders. However, we recommend that you use a passport to enter the U.S.
as it may be required for other purposes in the U.S., such as completing
a form for employment on campus, or applying for a Social Security number.
If you enter the U.S. from a country other than Canada, you are required
to present a passport at the port of entry.
To enter the U.S. in F-1 student
status, Canadians DO require an I-20 and proof of payment of the SEVIS
fee. To pay the SEVIS fee, go to http://www.fmjfee.com
and follow the instructions. Be sure to make a copy of the receipt for
your own records.
At the port of entry, Canadian
students must present the Form I-20 and supporting financial documentation
to the immigration inspector to be admitted into the U.S. in F-1 status.
You will be given an I-94 Admission/Departure card to complete. Be sure
to look at your I-94 card before you leave the inspection area to ensure
that it has the notation "F-1, D/S" written on it. Canadian
students must have an I-94 card to confirm current F-1 status. If not,
you are considered to be in Visitor (B-2) status, a status which does
not permit study in the U.S.
Some Canadians have mistakenly
assumed that regulations that apply to international students do not apply
to them. Students from Canada are subject to the same regulations regarding
employment in the United States, requirement for full-time study and all
other provisions for maintaining status. It is especially important for
Canadian students to be vigilant about entering the United States in proper
student status, as immigration inspectors are accustomed to admitting
Canadian citizens as visitors.
If You are
Already in the U.S.
Currently in a status other than F-1 - Students who do not plan
to leave the U.S. before beginning studies at Columbia, and are currently
in an immigration status other than F1 are required to change status by
application to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Changing your
status in the U.S. may not be possible, so please consult an ISSO adviser
or IAO adviser for more information. You may also review the detailed
information in Application for Change to F-1 Student Status.
Note that because your intention
at the time of admission to the U.S. is an issue with a change of status
application, a change of status from B-1 or B-2 visitor status may be
very difficult unless the B-1/B-2 entry visa was issued with the notation
"prospective student" on it. Most problematic is that an individual
in B-1 or B-2 status is prohibited from enrolling in classes until the
change of status to F-1 has been approved, and there is no way of knowing
how long this will take. The same prohibition against beginning a course
of study until the change of status has been approved by the immigration
applies to individuals in F-2 status.
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Currently in F-1 Status at Another Institution and transferring to
Columbia - Students enrolled in another U.S. school under F-1 immigration
status who are planning to enroll at Columbia University must complete
a process in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is notified
of this change. The transfer procedure begins with your current school
"releasing" your SEVIS record to Columbia and qualifying for
a Columbia I-20, and is NOT complete until you report to the ISSO or the
IAO within 15 days of the program start date on your I-20. The first step
is to get Columbia's I-20 in a timely manner. Please refer to our F-1
transfer procedures for exact details.
Continuing Students in F-1
Status at Columbia University - If you are completing one program
at Columbia and are planning to pursue another degree or program at the
University, DHS must be notified. The ISSO needs to issue you a new I-20
for the new program within 60 days of your completion date on your current
I-20 or within 60 days of completion of your program, whichever is earlier.
Contact the ISSO about qualifying for and obtaining a new I-20.
If You Will Be Accompanied
By Dependents
If your dependents - spouse or unmarried children under 21 years of age
- will accompany you to the U.S. or join you shortly after your arrival,
you will need to provide the ISSO or the IAO with additional documentation
showing your sufficient funding to meet your dependents' expenses and
copies of their passport ID pages. An I-20 will then be issued for each
of your dependents which they will use to apply for the F-2 visa. You
may request am I-20 for your dependents at any time during your stay at
Columbia.
Exchange Visitor (J-1) Visa
Alternative
Another visa classification for full-time study is the J-1 Exchange Visitor
status. J-1 students come to the U.S. under a contract agreement that
is formally known as the Exchange Visitor Program. Students who are personally
financing their studies are not eligible for J-1 status. Funding for J-1
students usually is from a government or international organization. University
funding may also qualify. Please refer to and read carefully the section
on Immigration Status under student immigration definitions for a summary
of some of the differences between F-1 and J-1 immigration status so that
you can make an informed choice.
Last Reviewed:
18 December 2006 Last modified:18 December 2006
International Students and Scholars Office
Columbia University
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