A student visa application should generally include the items on the checklist below:
- Certificate of Eligibility form (SEVIS I-20), certified by the student’s school and signed by the student.
- Proof (receipt) of payment of the SEVIS fee.
- Form DS-160, Non-immigrant Visa Application.
- Proof (receipt) of payment of the machine readable visa (MRV) application fee.
- Visa issuance reciprocity fee. (Whether or not this fee is required depends on the visa applicant’s country of nationality.)
- A copy of the student’s passport (valid for at least 6 more months).
- One passport-style photograph of the student and one of each of his/her spouse and children.
- Long-form birth certificate for the student and his/her accompanying relative.
- Marriage certificate (if the student is married and bringing his/her spouse).
- If the student visa applicant or his/her spouse has ever been married before, copies of divorce and death certificates that shows termination of all previous marriages.
- Transcripts, diplomas, and results of any standardized test results required by the school that the student will be attending (including TOEFL) that shows the student’s previous education and qualifications.
- Documents that show sufficient reasons that the student applying for a student visa will return to his/her home country.
Some examples of this would be:
- A letter from an employer stating that the student has a job to return to or a business license showing that he/she own a business in his/her home country.
- Ownership of real estate;
- Documents proving that the student visa applicant owns or rents property in his/her home country, such as a deed to a house or a rental agreement;
- Relationships with close family members who stayed behind; or
- Proof that a job will be waiting for the student on his/her return.
- When submitting documents to prove the student’s ability to pay for his/her studies and living expenses in the US, the student will need to prove that he/she is able to pay for the first 12 months of their school term and he/she should be able to show where the money for his/her 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 his/her bank account, the student will need to explain where the money came from and that it wasn’t deposited in his/her account for the purpose of padding his/her account)
- Copies of the student’s tax returns
- List of the student’s 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 the student
- Notification letter for any scholarships, loans, grants or fellowships that the student may have received and
- Other official documentation that the student thinks may help convince the US government that he/she is able to pay for his/her studies and that he/she has 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).