Student Visas (F and M visas)

Student visa applicants are scheduled for appointments Monday through Friday afternoons, except Polish and American holidays. They can make this appointment by following the procedures outlined in the How to Apply section of this site. Student visa applicants must submit the electronic application form DS-156 with a bar-code, forms DS-157, DS-158 and present all the documents described in Basic documents and photographs as well as form I-20 completed and certified by the American school or university and signed by the applicant.

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Please note that the institution of higher education or other educational institution which has issued the I-20 form must provide electronic evidence of the student’s acceptance at that institution before an F or M visa can be issued. The data contained in the I-20 form must be entered into the SEVIS database.

Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of F-1 or M-1 visa holders can apply for F-2 or M-2 visas respectively. They must present documents described in Basic Documents and Photographs as well as a separate form I-20.

Applicants for student visas with an I-20 issued on or after September 1, 2004 must pay an additional SEVIS registration and processing fee of $100 prior to the interview with the consular officer. The fee is charged to help cover the costs of administering the SEVIS program and is non-refundable. It is a one-time fee for each nonimmigrant program in which the student participates. For F and M students this generally is their entire time in status as a student in the U.S. regardless of whether they transfer schools. You can pay the fee with your I-901 form through the DHS website www.fmjfee.com or via mail by sending the form and your fee to the DHS address listed on the DHS SEVIS Fee FAQ website.

Derivatives (F-2, M-2, J-2) do not have to pay a separate SEVIS fee even though they will have a unique SEVIS number. More information about this new fee and the SEVIS program can be found at the DHS SEVP website.

Student visa applicants must prove that they have sufficient funds to pay for their first academic year and that funds will be available to continue their studies after the first academic year.

F and M visas are issued with a sealed envelope containing the I-20 form. This envelope must remain sealed and has to be presented with the passport to the immigration officer at the port of entry in the U.S.

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Student visas cannot be issued for study in public elementary or middle schools (kindergarten through 8th grade). Student visas can be issued for only one year’s attendance in a secondary institution (9th through 12th grades).

Foreign students who want to attend public secondary school (high school) must pay the full, unsubsidized per capita (for each student) cost of education. This amount is listed under the item called "tuition" in the I-20. The full, unsubsidized per capita (for each student) cost of education is the cost of providing education to each student in the school district where the public school is located. Costs normally range between $3,000 and $10,000.