What Is a Student Visa?

A student visa is the official green signal for a student to enter the country. In most cases, the student is required to have received an admit into a full-time course in a University of the country to start the visa application process.

After your course is completed, different countries have a set time period for which you can stay on in the country, following which your visa expires. This extended period can be 60 days or 4 months depending on the country.

The Australian Student visa process is completely online. For USA and Germany, the interviews will be held at the US Embassy and the German Consulate respectively. With regard to Canada, students receive their Student Permit only after arriving in Canada. But to do that, they have to first apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. This is provided by the Canadian High Commission and facilitated by the Visa Application Centers.

Types of student visas:

United States:

Most students apply for the F visa. The F visa is for students enrolled in full-time programs. The M visa is issued to students who choose to pursue a non-academic or technical course. Students of community colleges are also issued the M visa. The J Visa is applicable for students visiting the US on Exchange Programs and Research Fellowships.

Germany:

Three types of student visas are issued. The most commonly issued one is the German Student Visa for students who have received an admit to full-time programs in German universities. The German Student Application Visa applies to students whose presence is required in Germany during the application process selection interviews, for instance. Please note that the student will have to apply for a fresh visa after he/she receives admit. The German Language Course Visa is issued to students who have enrolled in a non-academic course to learn the German language and is usually valid for 3鈥� 12 months.

Canada:

There is only one kind of student visa, known as Student Permit, for which, like in other countries, an admit to an academic institute is a must.

Australia:

There is only one kind of visa for full-time graduate programs 鈥� the Student Visa (Subclass 500). This change was made in 2016, before which there were more specific categories depending on the nature and duration of your course.

When is the best time to apply for a visa?

Irrespective of which country you are applying for, a Student Visa can be sought only after you have received at least one Letter of Admission from a university. 听Ideally, try to start filing for the visa application three months before the commencement of your course. The processing time for international students are longer, so the earlier you start the process, the higher your chances of acceptance.

How long does it take to get a student visa?

The visa filing process for F1 visa of the United States takes about two weeks. Most students will know the status of their visa application as soon as the visa interview is over. However, in some cases, the officer in-charge may keep the status as pending to look into some unmet requirements in the visa application.

It takes about 3鈥�4 weeks to get a student visa in Germany and Canada. However, it is advised to start the visa process about three months before the commencement of the course. 听There is a visa interview as well for Germany, in contrast to Canada, where the process is mostly online.

The Australian Visa process is known to be slightly more stringent with the required documents when compared to other countries. However, if all the documents required have been submitted and found acceptable, the visa is issued in 2鈥�3 days. Sometimes it stretches to two or three weeks.

What are the documents required to start the visa application process?

1. Admit Letter from a University
2. Valid Passport 鈥� should ideally be issued at least 1 year prior to visa application
3. Form I- 20 document in case of USA
4. Education Qualification Certificates
5. Scorecards of GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT
6. Financial documents which prove that your tuition fee and living expenses for the whole duration of the course (preferably) are covered. This can be in the form of a loan sanction letter or proof of financial savings.
7. Medical check-up results in case of Australia and Canada
8. Health Insurance Certificate (for Germany and Australia)
9. Certificate of German Language Proficiency (important for German visa)
10. Visa Application fee receipt

Visa application process for various countries

United States:

Once you have received an admit from a university, you will be required to pay SEVIS I-901 fee, following which you will receive your Form I-20. The I-20 is issued by the university and it exhaustively covers every detail of your estimated expenditure. The tuition fee and living expenses for one year are mentioned in detail. The Form I-20 is also an official confirmation of your seat in the university. Once you receive your I-20, you can complete filing your visa application form online and submit it to the consulate after paying a non-refundable visa application fee.

The next step in the process would be to visit your preferred Visa Application Center (VAC) to have your fingerprints and photo taken. You will then be required to choose the slot for the visa interview and your preferred location.

Germany:

For a full-time course which is longer than three months, students will have to apply for a Residence Permit. After the paperwork and online filing process is completed, schedule an interview at the German Consulate. The sooner you do this, the better. Start the visa application process ideally three months before your course commences. An important thing to keep in mind is, for Germany, students will have to create a separate 鈥渂locked account,鈥� wherein the living expenses for one year is transferred to that account. This is a mandatory requirement. While this blocked account can be created in any bank, the Consulate refers to Kotak Mahindra Bank鈥檚 standard procedures that meets every criteria of the visa requirement.

Canada:

For the Canadian Visa Application process, three documents are mandatory. First, proof of sound health through a valid medical checkup. Second, proof that the fee for your course has been paid. Third, the Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) which requires the student to deposit a sum of ten thousand Canadian Dollars to a bank account in Canada. This amount is meant to cover your living expenses and is proof to the authorities that you will be able to support yourself financially as a student. This is basically to ensure that you have enough funds to finance your living expenditure. If you have these three documents, you can apply for a Canadian visa through the Student Direct Stream (SDS), which is a new mode of visa filing, especially for students from India, China, Vietnam, and Philippines. Once you have submitted your application, you will be required to also submit your fingerprint and photo. If your application has been accepted, you will receive a Letter of Introduction and your Temporary Resident Visa from the Canadian High Commission. You will need to produce these documents when you arrive in Canada, then you will receive your Study Permit. The process takes about four to five weeks.

Australia:

For an Australian Student Visa, all visa applications must be submitted online through the Immi Account, according to the latest regulations. The visa application process will not be successfully submitted until you submit your financial documents to show that the first semester fee has been paid and you have funds, roughly amounting to Rs. 10 Lacs to prove that your living expenses for the first year are taken care of. This could be through a loan letter from a bank, or liquid funds in a bank account. A medical report from a designated center is also a must. When you submit your application form, it is ideal to submit all the supporting documents as well. If some of the supporting documents are in the native language, please attach a certified translation as well. The visa authorities then review your documents and either get back to you with further queries or accept the application, if everything is clear. You will be able to track the status of your visa application online.

How much does the Visa Application Process cost?

Student Visa Cost

We hope this article gave you a good idea of the visa filing application process for the leading countries in international education! We wish you a sound head start in your study abroad journey! If you have any further queries, please drop them in the comments below and we will be happy to help! In conclusion, while many often expect a decline in the F1 visa applicants, data shows that the USA is still the preferred destination for international students, with an average of six hundred thousand students being accepted each year. Canada鈥檚 population of international students has also steadily increased in recent years because of the relatively easy way to become a Permanent Resident. Australia recorded an entry of half a million students last year, while Germany accepted four hundred thousand students. Nevertheless, in spite of all the confusion and controversy, USA is the hot favorite!

听

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• Non-immigrant visa for a temporary stay and
• Immigrant visa for permanent residence.

Now, the non-immigrant visa can be divided into:

• F visa: for students who are attending US universities for pursuing higher education. It is a full-time course at any university approved by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and SEVIS.
• M visa: for students who are attending an US university for a vocational or non-academic course. Valid for only one year but can be extended to three years as required.
• J visa: for students who are attending an US university for pursuing higher education but are enrolled in programs like Fulbright.Note that students will not be able to travel on the visa waiver program or using the visitor visa.
  However if you’re visiting U.S. purely for business purposes you could use the B-1 visa or the B-2 visa for vacation and other recreational activity.

Now, without any further ado let’s get down to the brass tacks of applying for a visa. There are quite a few steps, so let’s begin:

Being accepted by a SEVP approved university

• You have to be听accepted by a SEVP(Student and Exchange Visitor Program) approved university before applying for a F or M visa at the U.S. Embassy.
• After you are accepted by the SEVIS approved university of your choice you need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. The SEVIS I-901 form will cost you about $200. The University provides you a I-20 form which will be particularly useful during the visa interview. If your family wants to stay with you, they can do so without paying any SEVIS fee, however they must obtain individual I-20 forms.

Fill up the online visa application

Before scheduling the visa interview you need to do the following:

1) Fill up the visa application online and

2) After filling up the application, don’t forget to take a print out and carry it during the visa interview.

听Get the interview scheduled

• Certain age groups viz. above 80 and below 14 years old are generally exempted from visa interviews. Although it is left to the discretion of the interviewers to consider applicants irrespective of age.
• Visa interviews are carried out in most situations with the exception of renewals.
• An appointment for the visa interview must be scheduled at any U.S. embassy, however it is recommended that you schedule at your permanent residence as the chances of you qualifying for visa are more.
• Apply for your听visa early because the wait times for interviews vary depending upon the geographical location, category of visa etc.
• For new students the听F-1 and M-1 visas could be issued as early as 120 days in advance of the commencement of your course. But you will not be allowed to enter the U.S. anytime before 30 days of the start of your course.
• For continuing students however the scenario is different, they can enter the U.S anytime before their courses commence. They can renew their visas anytime provided their SEVIS records are up to date.

Application fees

• You have to pay a non-refundable sum of money as the visa application fee before the interview. You might also have to pay some amount as a fee for issuing your visa(depending upon the nationality).

Documents required

The following documents will come in handy while applying for visa and during the visa interview:

• A valid passport听to听travel to the United States. It must be valid for at least six months after your duration of stay.听In case of multiple persons included in your passport every one needs to deposit separate applications for visas.
• Visa application for Non-immigrants
• Forms like DS-160听
• In case you are required to pay the Application fee payment receipt, before taking the interview.
• Photographs while filling up the DS-160 form. There might be some issues with uploading the photos, so it’s recommended that you take a printed photograph along with you during the interview. It should be in accordance with the requirements mentioned below*
• Proof of eligibility for the non-immigrants in the form of F-1 status.
• Documents essential for Academic and Language Students
• Proof of eligibility for the non-immigrants undergoing vocational courses(M-1 status) in the form of I-20.
• The university you’re enrolled in听will send you a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor System) approved I-20 form after storing all of the information on you into the database. I-20 form requires your university officials signature along with yours. 听If your family members want to stay by your side during your MS/Ph.D they need to be registered with SEVIS. Everyone will听receive听an I-20 form.
• Some miscellaneous additional documents might be needed as a proof of your qualification.

Make sure to review all of the above mentioned instructions for applying to universities with those on the official website of the embassy you’re applying to.

The additional requirements may include the following three:

Requirements in terms of academia

• Marksheets and transcripts
• Diplomas,听Degrees or Certificates from schools you attended
• GRE and TOEFL(IELTS) scores

Intention of leaving United States once your course is complete.

Working out a plan to handle the living expense, educational and travel听cost.

听Requirements for photographs*

While attending your visa interview

• The category of visa you’re going to receive depends on your interaction with the visa officer. You have to fulfill all the requirements for听a holder of that particular category of visa you’re looking for.
• Based on your geographical locations there might be digital fingerprint scans free of ink.
• Even after the completion of your visa interview, there might be more wait time owing to administrative purposes.
• After the approval of visa, you might have to pay an amount for issuing your visa (depending on your nationality). You will also be intimated 听as to when the passport and the visa will be delivered to you. You might want to look up the official website for more details on the processing time depending upon your location via courier.

We hope that听you are clear with the process of applying for a visa. We shall now discuss the frequently asked questions related to VISA and try to address them.

Most of the questions are related to:

• Plans for your masters
• choice of university
• academic ability and prowess
• financial status
• plans after graduation

Here are a few of the sample questions asked and how to answer them:

Does the F-1 visa depend on the admission season?听

F1听visa听 doesn鈥檛 depend on which season you鈥檝e been admitted or when you have received your admit. Visas are provided on a fair basis of eligibility and qualification. If you have the right qualification, your听visa听will most likely be approved. Your chances of obtaining an US visa neither increases nor decreases by being a Spring/Fall student.听Visas听are not to be subjected on the basis of the intake. As long as you have the right qualifications and answers to the听visa听officer, there is a high chance of getting听visa.

Why go for spring intake and not fall?
I have got an admit for my course, so I didn’t want to wait for another 6 months.

Why are you leaving a High paid job and pursuing your masters.
I am looking for my career advancement, in order for me to move to next level I would like to pursue my masters.

In spring you may not get part time jobs, how will you manage?
I am comfortably funded by parents. I will be able to complete my masters without doing any part time jobs.

Why don’t you retake GRE and go for Fall (in case GRE score听is low)?
Since my other credentials are good and I have got an admit from a good university for the course I am looking for, i am not planning to retake my GRE.

Why are you going to the US?
To pursue my higher studies (maybe MS or Ph.D)

What will you be specializing in?
I will be majoring in 鈥渃hosen specialization鈥�.

What was your branch听during your bachelors?
I pursued my bachelors in 鈥渕ention your bachelors branch鈥�.

What are you currently engaged in?
I鈥檓 currently 鈥渨orking at/pursuing my鈥� (whatever it is that you鈥檙e currently engaged in).

Why do you want to go for a masters?
To gain in-depth knowledge and skill in 鈥渃hosen specialization鈥�. And applying听those skills in the future.

How many听universities听did you apply to?
I have applied to 鈥渘ame of the universities you applied to鈥�.

Do you know about any of the faculty members serving in the university you got admits from?
Yes, 鈥渕ention the name of a few professors鈥�.

What is the location of the University of your Choice?
Mention the location of the university. Be听thorough with the background research.

How much did you score in GRE/TOEFL/IELTS?
My GRE/TOEFL scores are 鈥渁nswer honestly鈥�.

Tell us about your GPA.
Don鈥檛 try to bluff your way out of it. Provide an honest answer regarding your GPA.

How comfortable are you in English?
Answer honestly without trying to show off.

Why choose US over other countries?
The educational programs in US are valued all over the world. The academic course is designed in such a way that proper emphasis is provided on both practical and theoretical aspects of the topics.

How much do you earn in a month? Is your monthly income?
Honestly answer the questions without exaggerating.

Do you plan on going back home after completion of your course?
Yes I plan to return to India and would like to 鈥渕ention about your aspirations鈥�

Are you sure about returning home after the completion of your MS?
I鈥檓 very confident of returning to India after I have amassed all the knowledge that can help me pursue a better career back home.

Still not able to wrap your head around visas? Worry no more, be it visa or deadline related doubts, contact us and we will get back to you.

Now, that you are aware of the steps听involved in getting a visa and you are aware of the most commonly asked interview questions, it’s time you start preparing for your visa.
There is one thing regarding visa interview and that is: as long as you are honest, straightforward, clear with your plans after masters, and, your financial statements are good then there is no need to worry.听Be confident, because you are standing there with an admit, as a university in US has recognized you and gave you an admit.

Last but not the least: Can you change the status of your visa once you are听lawfully admitted to the United States with a听non-immigrant听visa?
Sound off with the answers in the comments below.

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