Step 3: Apply for an M-1 student visa
To come to the United States and attend The FCI, you must contact your nearest United States embassy or consulate and apply for an M-1 student visa. These pages will explain the visa application process.
Note: Citizens of Canada generally do not require a student visa but still need to obtain an I-20 and present it with supporting documents to the immigration inspector at the Port of Entry in the United States. (The authorization for Canadian citizens to travel visa-free comes from other immigration laws, not from the visa-waiver program).
Important Precautions for Prospective International Students
- DO NOT ENTER THE U.S. WITH A B-1 or B-2 VISA UNLESS IT IS MARKED “PROSPECTIVE STUDENT.”
If you use a B visa to enter the U.S. you could be guilty of “fraudulent entry” and refused permission to stay longer than six months or to extend or change your status. If you think there is not enough time to get your visa, DO NOT ENTER THE U.S. IN ANOTHER VISA STATUS. Please contact The FCI to discuss your best course of action.
- DO NOT ENTER THE U.S. WITHOUT A VISA (unless you are Canadian).
Even if you are from a country from which you can enter the U.S. as a visitor by showing a round trip airline ticket, do NOT do this. If you enter without a visa, you will be permitted to stay for only 90 days.
Before you apply for the visa, you should understand the process and rules governing the issuance of a U.S. visa. Many visa applications are denied. In some countries, most applications are denied. Often it is because the student did not understand the rules or was not prepared. Take some time to explore the links below. Please read the information very carefully. If you find that any of these links are no longer current, or you need more information, please email our international student advisor Leland Scruby at lscruby@internationalculinarycenter.com or call him at 646-254-8586.
Student Visas
Visa Denials
Becoming a Nonimmigrant Student in the US
Visa Tips
What Consuls Look For
In most countries, first-time student visa applicants are required to appear for an in-person interview. However, each embassy and consulate sets its own interview policies and procedures regarding student visas.
- back to top -
Contacting Embassies
Most embassies have websites that give very detailed information about applying for the visa. Because each country is different and rules are subject to change, it is important that you consult the website for your country of residence (or call them) for specific application instructions. Please visit www.usembassy.state.gov for a list of embassy locations. Please note that if your primary residence is not your country of citizenship, you must apply at the U.S. embassy located in your country of residence.
For general information about the visa process, please download the State Department Publication "Obtaining a U.S. Visa".
- back to top -
What do I Need to Apply for a Student Visa?
It’s important to remember that applying early and providing the requested documents does not guarantee that you will receive a visa. Also, because each student’s personal and academic situation is different, two students applying for the same type of visa may be asked different questions and required to submit different documents. For that reason, the guidelines that follow are general and can be shortened or expanded by consular officers overseas, depending on each student’s situation.
All applicants for a student visa must provide:
- A Form I-20 obtained from a U.S. college, school, or university. Please be sure to give the embassy all three pages of the I-20 form. The form must also be signed by you and by a school official in the appropriate places.
- An application Form DS-156, together with a Form DS-158. Both forms must be completed and signed. Some applicants will also be required to complete and sign Form DS-157. A separate form is needed for children, even if they are included in a parent's passport. Select Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form DS-156 at http://evisaforms.state.gov/ to access this form. You may also check with the Embassy Consular Section where you will apply to determine if the hard-copy blank DS-156 form is available, should you need it.
- A passport valid for at least six months after your intended period of stay in the U.S.
- One (1) 2x2 photograph. See nonimmigrant photograph requirements at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1287.html
- A receipt for the SEVIS fee. A receipt will be provided to you online when you make the payment and will also be mailed to the address you specify when you make the payment.
- A receipt for visa processing fee. A receipt showing payment of the visa application fee for each applicant, including each child listed in a parent’s passport who is also applying for a U.S. visa, is needed.
In addition, all applicants should be prepared to provide:
- back to top -
Do you have dependents?
Applicants with dependents who will be traveling to the United States must obtain visas for each dependent. The FCI will issue I-20s for each dependent to obtain an M-2 visa. Applicants with dependents must also provide:
- Proof of the student’s relationship to his/her spouse and/or children (e.g., marriage and birth certificates).
- Proof of financial resources to support your dependent(s).
It is preferred that families apply for M-1 and M-2 visas at the same time, but if the spouse and children must apply separately at a later time, they should bring a copy of the student visa holder’s passport and visa, along with all other required documents.
- back to top -
|
