Checklist While Filing a Student Visa Application

A student visa application should generally include the following:

• Certificate of Eligibility form (SEVIS I-20), certified by your school and it has to be signed by you, the student.

• Evidence (receipt) of payment of the SEVIS fee.

• Form DS-160, Non-immigrant Visa Application.

• Evidence (receipt) of payment of the machine readable visa application fee (MRV) fee.

• Visa issuance reciprocity fee ( fee depends on your country of nationality ).

• A copy of the your passport (valid for at least six more months).

• One passport-sized photograph of yours and one of each of your spouse and children.

• Long-form birth certificate for you and your accompanying relatives.

• Marriage certificate (if married and bringing his/her spouse).

• If you or your spouse have been married before, copies of divorce and death certificates that shows termination of all earlier marriages.

• Transcripts, diplomas, and results of any standardized test results that you will be attending and also proof of your previous education and qualifications.

• Adequate proof that you will return to your home country. Some examples of this are:

1. A letter from an employer that indicates that you have a job to return to or a business license showing that you own a business in your home country.

2. ownership of real estate

3. Evidence that you own or rent property in your home country, such as a deed to a house or a rental agreement

4. Relationships with close family members who stayed back

5. Evidence of a job that will be waiting for you on your return.

• When you are submitting documents to prove your ability to pay for your studies and living expenses in the US, you have to prove that you are able to pay for the first 12 months of your school term and you should be able to show where the money for your remaining years of study will come from.

Some examples of documents that will help the student prove this are:

• Form I-134, Affidavit of Support from a US friend or relative

• Bank statements and stock certificates (If there are any recent large deposits in your bank account, you have to explain where the money came from and that it wasn’t deposited in your account for the purpose of padding your account)

• Copies of your tax returns

• list of the yours or sponsor’s assets that can be converted to cash, such as real estate

• letter from an employer confirming employment of any family member who will support you

• notification letter for any scholarships, loans, grants or fellowships that you may have received and

• other official documentation that you think may help convince the US government that you are able to pay for your studies and that you have no intention to try and work illegally while living in the US.

In addition,

• An employment letter to prove the sponsor’s employment.

• A bank letter that has the balance of bank accounts.

• A copy of the sponsor’s most recent federal tax return (required if the sponsor is self-employed).