How To Obtain an F-1 Student Visa

NEW STUDENTS

• After you have been accepted to SCC, you will be issued your I-20 Form. 
  If you currently live outside the United States, the SCC International Education Programs office will mail you the certificate of eligibility (SEVIS I-20 Form). This I-20 Form must be presented at the U.S. Consulate in your home country when applying for your F-1 student visa, along with your unexpired passport and evidence of financial support.
   
  If you do not receive the Form I-20 do NOT enter the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 tourist visa. You will not be permitted to begin a course of study when you are on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa.  You will be required to leave the United States to change your status!
   
• Make an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in your home country. 
  Visa delays are very common now, so make your appointment as soon as possible.
   
  To find the U.S. Consulate closest to you, click here: http://travel.state.gov/links.html
   
• Prepare your documents for the F-1 visa application and interview.
  Remember to bring your passport, I-20 Form, evidence of financial support. Some consulates will accept a letter from your bank, others will require several months of original monthly bank statements. Some will want to see your diplomas and other academic records. All consulates will require you to prove your ?ties to your home country? ? they want to be sure that you intend to return to your home country when you have finished your studies. Be sure to read the ?Non-Immigrant Visa? information on the website for the US Consulate in your home country. For  for advice about your visa interview please view our 10 Points to Remember.
   
• Pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee BEFORE you apply for your visa!  Here's how...
  After receiving your I-20 document from the school, you need to:
  • Pay your SEVIS I-901 Fee ($100 USD) by internet at www.FMJfee.com
  • Fill out the I-901 form
  • Pay the fee by credit card
  • Print a copy of your receipt from the computer, and take this receipt with to your visa interview.
  You will not receive the visa if you have not first paid the SEVISI-901 fee.
   
  You can also pay the SEVIS fee locally using the Western Union QuickPay? service. You can pay using the local currency along with the needed form Z-901. The payment will be electronically transmitted to SEVP. The Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof-of-payment for a visa interview at a U.S. Consulate and for admission to the U.S. Port of Entry.
   
  You must pay this fee at least 3 business days before applying for a visa.  For more information about the SEVIS I-901 fee, please see http://www.ice.gov/graphics/sevis/i901/faq.htm
   
• Buy your airline ticket (if needed) and plan for your arrival at SCC.
  Note that you will not be issued your F-1 visa until 90 days (or less) before the start date on your I-20 (in August for the Fall semester, or in January for the Spring semester). You will not be permitted to enter the United States with your F-1 visa until 30 days before the start date on your I-20. To know the start date, see line #5 on your I-20 Form: "The student is expected to report to the school no later than (date)"

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Transfer Students (students who are currently in the U.S. on an F-1 visa from another school)

We welcome your interest in transferring to SCC and are happy to assist you with the process. In addition to the documents listed in How to Apply for Admission, we will need some additional information from you as listed below:

• Current USCIS regulations permit a transfer of your immigration status to SCC, provided that you are in valid F-1 status at the school you are currently attending.  Therefore, you are required to have your current international student advisor complete and return to us the SCC Transfer Form (download here), or equivalent confirmation that you are maintaining your F-1 status. Your new SCC I-20 Form will be given to you when the transfer is completed, usually when you check in at the International Education Programs office.
• If you plan to leave the U.S. before enrolling at SCC, please ask us to send your Form I-20 so that you may use the SCC I-20 Form to enter the U.S. and to apply for a new visa at the U.S. Consulate, if necessary.
• WARNING: Failure to complete the transfer process results in the violation of immigration regulations. Furthermore, you may not work on campus until the transfer of immigration is processed. If you are out of status, please discuss reinstatement with your international student advisor or with the international student advisor at SCC.

CANADIAN STUDENTS

Canadian students are not required to visit the U.S. Consulate for an F-1 visa stamp. However, they must still follow the F-1 admission procedures (See How to Apply for Admission) and present their I-20 Form at the point of entry to the U.S. All F-1 visa regulations still apply to Canadians in F-1 visa status