Is it Easy to Get a Student Visa?
You Need a Student Visa to Study Full-Time at ULI.
If you meet all the criteria for
admission at ULI, you will be accepted. After you have been accepted to ULI,
we can send you all the documents you will need for your student visa. As of
2006, if you have a student visa in your passport and have been out of the USA
for longer than 5 months, your visa will be cancelled and you will need to go to
the US embassy again to apply for a new one.
Student Visas Are a Priority at U.S. Embassies. The
U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued a cable to all embassies
and consulates on June 3, 2003, to encourage them to make student visa
processing and interviews a high priority.
Be Sure to Apply Early. Check the
U.S. Department
of State's visa interview page to find out how quickly you can get a visa interview.
You can apply for a student visa up to 120 days before the program start date
listed on your I-20. Back
to topHow Can I Get a Student Visa?
You will need the following documents:
1.Acceptance Letter from ULI
with current dates. If you meet all the
criteria for admission at ULI,
I will send this to you.
2. Form I-20 created by ULI in
SEVIS. ULI will send this to you with your acceptance letter.
3.
Application Form DS-156
completed and signed.
4.
Application
Form DS-157 completed and signed (for males only).
5.
Application Form DS-158
completed and signed.
6. Passport that is valid for at
least 6 months.
7.
Photograph showing full face
with light background (37x37mm)
8. A Receipt for the visa
processing fee of $131. Check your country's
U.S. embassy or consulate
website to find out where to pay this fee.
9. If your I-20 was created on or after
September 1, 2004 . . . A Receipt for the SEVIS fee of $100.
To get the receipt, you will need to fill out Form I-901 and pay the fee in U.S. dollars by
credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) at
https://www.FMJfee.com.
OR . . .
Fill out Form I-901 and pay the fee in U.S.
dollars at participating Western Union
locations in your country. You can find instructions & samples online at
http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/wu_instr.htm
OR . . .
If you do not have access to a credit card,
you can get a Receipt for the $100 SEVIS fee by sending Form I-901 and paying the fee by mail using a check or bank draft, drawn on a U.S. bank in
U.S. dollars. The mailing address for payment is:
P.O. Box Address:
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
P.O. Box 970020
St. Louis, MO 63197-0020
Street address for courier/express delivery:
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
1005 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
OR . . .
If
you would like to pay University Language Institute the $100 SEVIS fee when you
submit your application and application fee, we can use our credit card to pay
the fee for you online and send the receipt to you via DHL when we send you your
I-20.
9. Any Document That . . . shows
that you have binding ties to a residence in your home country (proof of home
ownership, etc) or that proves that you plan to return to your home country
after studying (letter from employer, proof of children in home country, proof
of ownership of property, etc).
10. Proof of Financial Resources.
You must prove that you have a financial support source (self, financial
sponsor, scholarship, etc). You must prove that you have enough money
available right now to pay for all your classes. You must prove that you
have enough money so that you will not become a public charge or seek
unauthorized employment in the USA. Examples include bank books, bank
statements, income tax documents,
affidavit of support, business registration, business licenses, or letters
of scholarship.
What Consuls Look For:
1. You have a residence in your home
country.
2. You have no intention of
abandoning that residence
3. You intend to depart from the USA
after studying is completed
4. Your purpose for studying in the USA
is directly related to plans for your future in your home country.
The Most Important Thing to Remember:
During your interview, you must prove that
you do not plan to move to the USA permanently.
Is it Safe in the USA?
University Language Institute is a Christian
school. Tulsa is located in the middle of the
USA. We are many hours away from major cities like Dallas (5 hours),
St. Louis (5 hours), and Chicago (10 hours).
Students from the countries that are known to have organized terrorist
organizations are put through a lengthy screening process before they are
able to get a visa to come to the USA. Back
to topHelpful Websites:
SEVIS Regulations (annotated by NAFSA)
United States Citizenship & Immigration
Services (USCIS)
Immigration Forms
U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Department of State (visas)
Embassies & Consulates Worldwide
Back
to top
What if I'm From the Middle East or an NSEERS Country?
If you are from the following countries, this section
is for you: Afgahnistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, North
Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia,
United Arab Emirates, or Yemen.
Visa Interviews in Your Country Should be Easy.
We have heard that it is not a difficult process and that is IS possible for you
to get a student visa. You should apply early because it can take several
weeks for the consulate or embassy in your country to process your application
and do any required background checks. If you have any problems, we will
help you to the best of our ability.
"Special Registration" is Required for
non-immigrants from certain countries, as well as other individuals whom the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or Department of State
(DOS) designate on a discretionary basis as part of the National Security
Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS).
[Source: 67 Fed.Reg. 52583 (August 12, 2002)]
Special Registration Requirements:
- Register with with USCIS to get fingerprints and
a photograph taken
- Have an interview with USCIS within 30 - 40 days
of entering the United States for those who are subjected to special
registration at the port of entry during the registration period specified in
the Federal Register for "call-in" groups
- Have an interview each year with USCIS on
each annual anniversary date of entering the United States or, for call-in
groups, one year after reporting for call-in registration
- Inform USCIS of an address, school, or employer
change within 10 days of any change using
Form AR-11SR.
- Depart the United States from an
officially-designated port of departure only and report to an
USCIS
officer at such airport prior to departure.
Important note: simply departing from a designated port of departure is
not sufficient to comply with the special registration requirements; a special
registrant must actually contact the USCIS officer designated for special
registration at the port of departure prior to leaving the U.S.
You can find more information about NSEERS
requirements on the
NAFSA website. Information is also available on the
USCIS
website with all the details of the special registration as well as a list
of INS interviewing offices at ports of departure. Back
to top Priority for Student and Exchange Visitor Visa
Processiong Cable
***Beginning of Text from the
"Priority for Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Processing" Cable***
R 181803Z JUN 03
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS
SPECIAL EMBASSY PROGRAM
AMEMBASSY KABUL
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
UNCLAS STATE 172365
VISAS, FOR CONSULS FROM VO DAS JANICE JACOBS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS, KPAO
SUBJECT: PRIORITY FOR STUDENTS AND EXCHANGE VISTOR VISA PROCESSING
REFTELS: A) STATE 136100, B) STATE 139997
1. Following up on ref A guidance on waiving personal appearances, I
would like to ask posts that have developed or expect to develop waiting periods
for NIV [non-immigrant visa] interviews to give priority to students and
exchange visitors in the professor, student, and research scholar categories
when scheduling interviews this summer. I commend those posts that already
have developed mechanisms within their appointment systems for giving priority
to these important classes of NIV applicants.
2. A small number of posts already have waiting times for interviews of
four weeks or more; others could develop waiting periods as the
recently-announced personal appearance waiver regulations are implemented.
The Department is sensative to the potential impact on our nation's academic and
research institutions if students are not able to begin their courses of study
on time, and we want to avoid the kinds of delays in the entry of students and
scholars that we saw last summer as a result of changes in the SAO process.
3. Any questions or comments about priority appointment systems can be
forwarded to CA/VO/F/P. Posts that have developed appointment systems to
take into account seasonal travelers such as students are encouraged to share
their stories with other posts. For example, I understand that Embassy
London has asked its call center to identify certain categories of applicants by
visa class, including students, to prioritize appointments. Other posts
may have similar mechanisms built into their appointment system. In
closing, I would like to join Secretary Powell and Assistant Secretary Harty in
expressing my thanks and admiration to all my colleagues in the field.
4. Minimize considered.
POWELL
***End Text of Cable***
Back
to top What to Expect at the Airport
When you arrive at the airport, you need to be sure to have
certain documents with you. For information about what documents you should have
on your person and what to expect, read this
Fact
Sheet about arriving at a U.S. port of entry.
Back
to top
Student Visa Rules
After you arrive in the USA with a student visa, you should
become familiar with and follow
student visa rules.
Back
to top
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