| Visa type | F-1 Student Visa |
| Proof of funds | Not listed |
| Application fee | $185 |
| Processing time | Not listed |
| Work while studying | 20 hours per week |
| Dependants | Allowed |
| Official page | https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html |
What you need
A valid, unexpired passport; a Form I-20 issued by a SEVP certified school after you accept an offer of admission; proof that the 350 dollar I-901 SEVIS fee has been paid; a completed Form DS-160 online nonimmigrant visa application; a receipt for the visa application (MRV) fee; a passport style photo; and evidence of funds to cover the first year of study, in the amount and form your school's international student office asks for on the Form I-20. A new Visa Integrity Fee of 250 dollars, created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, is also being phased in as an additional charge collected when the visa is issued; its administrative procedures, including any refund process, were still being finalized as of mid-2026. Spouses and children can accompany an F-1 student on a dependent F-2 visa, but F-2 dependents generally cannot work and can only study part time.
How to apply
- Accept your offer of admission and give the school's international student office the financial documentation it asks for.
- Receive your Form I-20 from the school, listing your SEVIS ID number and the certified cost of attendance for one year.
- Pay the 350 dollar I-901 SEVIS fee online through the government's FMJfee.com system, using the SEVIS ID number from your I-20.
- Complete the Form DS-160 online and pay the visa application (MRV) fee.
- Schedule and attend a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate; bring your passport, I-20, SEVIS fee receipt, DS-160 confirmation page and financial evidence.
- If approved, the visa is placed in your passport. You may enter the United States up to 30 days before the program start date shown on your I-20.
Why applications are refused
US visa law starts from a legal presumption that every applicant for a nonimmigrant visa, including F-1, intends to immigrate permanently, so a consular officer can refuse an application under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act when an applicant does not show strong enough ties to their home country and a genuine intent to return after finishing their studies. Other commonly cited reasons include financial evidence that does not clearly cover the amount stated on the Form I-20, an incomplete or inconsistent application, a mismatch between an applicant's stated study plans and their academic background, and past immigration violations or other grounds of ineligibility. This summary reflects generally published background on refusal categories; travel.state.gov, the primary official source for refusal reasons, could not be read directly during this research pass, so treat this as context rather than a verbatim official statement.