How to Get a US Student Visa (F-1)
The F-1 is the student visa for academic study in the US. But the visa is only the last third of the process. First, a US school must admit you. It then issues an I-20Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status — The form a US school issues to admit you as an F-1 or M-1 student. You need it for your visa and at the border.Click for official info ↗ form. Next, you pay fees. Then you convince a consular officer that you are a real student with enough money. Here is the full path, from application to arrival.
At a glance
- Cost:
- SEVIS $350 + visa fee $185 (+ tuition proof)
- Total time:
- 2–6 months total
- Steps:
- 9 steps
- Where to apply:
- studyinthestates.dhs.gov
Last reviewed November 2026 against official sources. Re-checked annually · next review due November 2027.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official US sources(November 2026).
0 of 9 steps
- Before You Go 6–12 months
Get admitted to a SEVP-certified school
Only schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program can issue the I-20 you need for an F-1. Apply to the school. Send transcripts and test scores. Get admitted. When you accept, you usually pay a deposit. Then the school's international office issues your Form I-20, a paper/digital document. It lists your program, start date, and estimated costs. This step takes the longest. Plan 6–12 months before your intended start.
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- Before You Go 1 week
Check your I-20 for accuracy
Check every field on the I-20 carefully. Your name spelling must match your passport exactly. Check your date of birth, program level, and start date. Check the funding breakdown too. An error here can cause a visa delay or a border problem. If anything is wrong, ask the school to reissue a corrected I-20 for you. Never fix it by hand. Sign the I-20 when it is correct. Students under 18 need a guardian signature too.
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- Submit & Pay 20 min
Pay the SEVIS fee (I-901)
Pay $350 at fmjfee.com. Use the SEVIS ID on your I-20 to pay. It starts with N. Print the receipt. You cannot attend the visa interview without it. Pay at least 3 business days before the interview. This gives it time to register. If you pay and the visa is denied, you can generally use the fee again. You can retry within 12 months. If you change schools, a new I-20 may require the fee again.
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- Fill / Prepare 1–2 hours
Complete the DS-160 online application
Fill in the DS-160Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application — The online visa application form for temporary (nonimmigrant) visas like the F-1 or B-2.Click for official info ↗ at ceac.state.gov. This is the general nonimmigrant visa application. You will need your I-20 and passport. You will also need travel plans, education/work history, and a US contact. Use your school's international office address as the contact. Upload or bring a 2x2 photo. It must meet strict requirements. Answer honestly. The form asks about prior visa refusals. Lying, called misrepresentation, is a permanent bar. Save the barcode confirmation page. The interview requires it. Since June 2025, F-1 applicants are also instructed to set all social media profiles to public. This is for consular vetting.
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- Submit & Pay 1 hour + wait
Pay the visa fee and book the interview
Pay the $185 MRV fee at the embassy's payment portal. The fee varies slightly by country. Then book the earliest interview slot you can get. Since 2 September 2025, F-1 applicants are not eligible for an interview waiver. Expect an in-person interview, even for renewals. Congress also created a $250 Visa Integrity Fee in law (H.R. 1, July 2025), but it was not being collected from F-1 students as of October 2026. If collection starts, it is charged when your visa is issued, and your total becomes $785. Many posts give student interviews priority scheduling. Say you are an F-1 applicant when you book. Wait times range from days to months. They depend on the country. Check your embassy's current estimates. Plan your program start around them.
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- Go 3–5 hours prep
Prepare the interview evidence
The officer must believe three things. You are a real student. You can pay. And you plan to return home after study. This is called ties to your country. Put your papers in a folder. Include the I-20, SEVIS receipt, and DS-160 confirmation. Include your passport and admission letter. Include financial documents too. These are bank statements covering at least year one, sponsor affidavits, and scholarship letters. Add transcripts and proof of ties. Proof can be family, property, or a job offer at home. Practice a 1-minute answer to this question. "Why this school, why this major, what will you do after graduating?".
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- Go Half day
Attend the visa interview
Arrive 15 minutes early. Bring ONLY required documents. Leave phones and bags behind. They are banned. The interview is short. It is often under 3 minutes. It is in English. Be direct and honest. State your school, major, and funding source. State your intent to return. If you are refused under 214(b), it means the officer thinks you are an intending immigrant. You may reapply with stronger ties evidence. There is no appeal. If you are approved, the visa is printed in your passport within days.
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- Wait 3–7 days
Receive the visa and check it
Processing usually takes 3–7 days. Some posts take weeks for administrative processing. When the passport comes back, check the visa foil. Check the name and birth date. Check the visa type F-1 and the issue/expiration dates and the number of entries. Fix errors before you travel. Remember this. The visa gets you TO the US. Your I-20 and status govern how long you STAY.
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- Receive Travel day
Enter the US (no earlier than 30 days before your I-20 start)
F-1 students may enter up to 30 days before the program start date on the I-20 form. You cannot enter earlier on the student visa. At the border, carry your passport with visa. Carry your I-20 (signed) and financial proof. The CBPUS Customs and Border Protection — The agency that inspects you when you enter the US at an airport or land border crossing.Click for official info ↗ officer will issue an electronic I-94Arrival/Departure Record — The electronic record of your legal entry — your admission class and the date your authorized stay expires.Click for official info ↗ record. It admits you for "D/S" (duration of status). After you arrive, report to your school's international office. Do this within the program reporting window. If you do not register, your SEVIS record will be terminated.
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Be Careful
Don't make these mistakes
Applying before you have an I-20. Only schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program can issue the I-20 you need for an F-1 visa. Apply to the school, get admitted, and accept before you start the visa steps. This step takes the longest, so plan 6 to 12 months before your intended start.
Not checking the I-20 for errors. Check every field on the I-20 carefully. Your name spelling must match your passport exactly, and so must your date of birth, program level, start date, and funding breakdown. If anything is wrong, ask the school to reissue a corrected I-20. Never fix it by hand.
Going to the interview without the SEVIS receipt. Pay the $350 SEVISStudent and Exchange Visitor Information System — The DHS database tracking F and M students. You pay a SEVIS fee before your visa interview.Click for official info ↗ fee at fmjfee.com at least 3 business days before the interview so it has time to register. You cannot attend the visa interview without the receipt.
Lying on the DS-160. Answer honestly. The form asks about prior visa refusals, and lying, called misrepresentation, is a permanent bar. Since June 2025, F-1 applicants are also instructed to set all social media profiles to public for consular vetting.
Trying to enter more than 30 days early. F-1 students may enter up to 30 days before the program start date on the I-20 form. You cannot enter earlier on the student visa. After you arrive, report to your school international office within the program reporting window, or your SEVIS record will be terminated.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work on an F-1 visa?
Limited on-campus work is allowed from the start. You can work 20 hrs/week during school. Off-campus work requires authorization. You can get CPT. CPT is curricular and is used during study. Or you can get OPT (Optional Practical Training). OPT gives 12 months after graduation. STEM degrees get +24 months more. Working off-campus without authorization is a status violation. It can void the visa and harm future applications.
My visa was refused under 214(b). What now?
A 214(b) refusal means the officer was not convinced. They doubted your ties to home country or your student intent. You can reapply anytime. There is no waiting period. But reapplying with the same documents rarely changes the result. Make your case stronger. Show clearer career plans at home. Show stronger funding. Or show a different program alignment. Expect a fresh interview.
Do I need a new visa if I change schools or degrees?
A valid F-1 visa stays usable for new programs. Your SEVIS record must transfer properly between schools. The new I-20 must be issued before you travel. If the visa expired, you need a new one only at one time. That is when you next leave and re-enter the US. You do not need one while you stay inside the country.
What will my F-1 visa cost in 2027?
Two fees, $535 in total: the $350 SEVIS I-901 fee and the $185 visa application (MRV) fee. The $250 Visa Integrity Fee is written into US law, but it was not being collected from F-1 students as of October 2026. If collection starts, it is charged when your visa is issued, and the total becomes $785. A few posts have charged it in practice, so confirm with your embassy before you pay. If you travel under the Visa Waiver Program instead of getting a visa, the ESTA fee is $40.62 from 16 October 2026.
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