Non-Immigrant Visas

Student Visas

If you want to study in the United States, the first step is to find a school that offers the kind of program you need, apply for admission and be accepted. You can find more official information about studying in the United States here, and almost all U.S. universities and colleges maintain their own websites where you can find information on your own. Here in Singapore, you can find out more about American schools at the United States Education Information Center (USEIC). The USEIC is located at:

United States Education Information Center (USEIC)
12 Prince Edward Road
#01-03 Bestway Building, Podium A
Singapore 079212
Tel: 6226-6996
Fax: 6226-4533
Internet: http://useic.org
Email: inquiry@useic.org
Hours of operation: Mon-Fri 9:00 am-6:00 pm; Saturdays 11:00 am-4:00 pm

The USEIC can submit student visa applications to the Embassy on your behalf. You can also apply through our regular application channels.

There are two types of student visas: F-1 visas are for students in an academic program, and M-1 visas are for students in a non-academic program, such as vocational training. Your school in the United States will let you know whether you need an F-1 or M-1 visa. The application procedures are the same for both.

Do I Need a Student Visa?

If you will be enrolled as a full-time student in a program that leads to a degree, you will need to apply for a student visa. If you are in the United States already on a Tourist (B-2 or B1/B2) visa, you will only be allowed to change to student status if you declared your intention to do so when you entered the U.S., and you will not be allowed to begin your program until the change of status is approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The approval process often takes a long time, so it is not a good idea to try this.

J-1 Exchange Visitor visas are also commonly used for structured academic and vocational programs, though generally not for full-time programs that lead to a degree. Click here for more information on J-1 visas.

If you are going to the United States for some kind of educational activity but will not be a full-time student, you may not need to get a student visa. Click here for a discussion of other possibilities.

How Long Will The Process Take, And When Should I Apply?

Normal processing time for student visas is 5 to 10 working days, the same as for other non-immigrant visa categories (see How To Apply For A Visa). Depending on your nationality and course of study, however, we may need to get special clearances, and this can take some additional time.

To make sure that you can arrive on time if your visa is approved, you should apply for your visa early. You are allowed to apply as soon as you have received your I-20 form from your school. Note that we are only allowed to issue a student visa—that is, actually print it and put it in your passport—120 days or less before the date that you are supposed to report to your school. This date is printed on your I-20. If you apply for your visa more than 120 days prior to your report date and we decide to approve your application, you will be advised to re-submit your passport at a later date so that we can print your visa. Also, if your case requires any special clearances or other processes, we can use this "extra time" to get them done.

How Do I Make An Appointment?

The U.S. Embassy in Singapore utilitizes a web-based appointment system.  Click here to make an appointment.

What Are The Requirements For Getting A Student Visa?

All student visa applicants must demonstrate that they:

• are entering the United States for a temporary stay only for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study at a recognized institution of learning;
• have a residence outside the United States to which they intend to return following their studies;
• have sufficient resources available to provide for the total cost of their education; and
• have sufficient command of the English language or will enroll in intensive English language courses in the United States.

In addition, the school must report to the State Department that you have been accepted to study there by entering your data into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). See below for more about SEVIS.

Required Documents And Recommended Supplemental Documents

In addition to the Standard Non-Immigrant Visa Documents, you must provide:

• SEVIS-compliant I-20 Certificate of Eligibility from your U.S. school or university.
• Passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of arrival in the United States.
• Completed form DS-158, available here 
• Completed Student Questionnaire (Form SGP V-4)
• Exit permit (for male Singaporeans or PRs liable for National or Reserve Service)
• Evidence of Financial Resources

All student visa applicants must demonstrate that they have financial resources sufficient for their studies. For F-1 applicants, this means you or your sponsors have sufficient funds immediately available to meet all expenses of the first year of study, as well as a sufficient income to provide funds for subsequent years of study. M-1 applicants must prove they have sufficient funds immediately available to cover the entire course of study, not just the first year.

There are no fixed rules for what kind of financial documents you need—you can submit anything that you think will help show that you have enough funds for your studies. Some examples include:

• Scholarships: Evidence from the school or organization providing the scholarship of any scholarship funds you are to receive, and any limitations or obligations related to those funds.
• Bank Documents: Passbooks or statements showing your current assets and recent transactions for at least the past several months. Letters from your bank or your sponsor's bank are also acceptable, but the letters should cite the accounts maintained, current balances and average monthly balances over the past year. A letter simply stating that the bank believes the sponsor is capable of supporting the applicant will not be useful for visa-application purposes.
• Sponsorship by Parents: If your parents are your sponsors, they should write a letter stating that they will provide support for your studies in the United States; they should also provide evidence of their assets and income, including current bank statements, and income tax assessment notices for the last two years (Inland Revenue Authority Form 4020 for Singapore residents).
• Sponsors Other Than Your Parents: Since parental sponsorship is by far the most common situation, if you are being sponsored by someone other than your parents, you may want to consider provide something more substantial than just a letter. Some applicants choose to have their sponsors complete notarized affidavits of support. If you do this, the affidavit should state specifically the relationship between the sponsor and the student and the kind of financial evidence used to demonstrate support. In addition, the sponsor should provide the same evidence of assets and income as a sponsoring parent.
• Loans: If you will be depending on loans to fund your U.S. education, you should be prepared to explain how you will repay the loans after you have left the United States and begun working.

About SEVIS AND Your I-20 Form

SEVIS Fee for F, M, & J Nonimmigrant Students & Exchange Visitors

The Department of Homeland Security collects a fee to cover the costs for the continued operation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Who Pays The Fee?

Those who wish to enter the United States either as a student or an exchange visitor with a Form I-20 or DS-2019 dated on or after September 1, 2004.

Participants of federally sponsored exchange visitor programs, which are designated by program codes beginning with G-1, G-2, or G-3 are not subject to this fee. Spouses and dependent children (F-2, M-2) of students or exchange visitors (J-2) do not pay this fee.

How much is the fee?

For students (F-1, F-3, M-1, or M-3)	$100
For spouses and dependent children (F-2, M-2, or J-2) of students or exchange visitors	None
For exchange visitors (J-1) unless participating in:	$100
Federally sponsored exchange visitor program (program codes start with G-1, G-2, or G-3)	None
Summer work/travel program	$35
Au pair program	$35
Camp counselor program	$35

How Is The Fee Paid?

The fee CANNOT be paid at the Embassy. It must be paid before you come for your interview, as we cannot issue your visa until payment is confirmed.
The fee can be paid in four ways:

• Through the Internet at www.fmjfee.com by using a credit card and completing the online Form I-901 (Fee for Remittance for Certain F, M, and J Nonimmigrants); or
  by using a credit card and completing the online Form I-901 (Fee for Remittance for Certain F, M, and J Nonimmigrants); orby using a credit card and completing the online Form I-901 (Fee for Remittance for Certain F, M, and J Nonimmigrants); or
• Through the mail by submitting a completed Form I-901 and a check or money order drawn on a US Bank and payable in US currency; or
  
• By a third party such as a school or sponsor (in such a case, they should inform you that payment has been made on your behalf).
  
• Through the Western Union Quick Pay service. Instructions for using the Western Union Quick Pay form can be seen on the Student and Exchange Visitor Program website.

For more details about the SEVIS fee.

SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is a database of information about every Student (F-1 or M-1 visa) and Exchange Visitor (J-1 visa) to the United States. The information is input and updated not by the Embassy, but by the school you will attend or the exchange program sponsor. If your are not entered in SEVIS, or if there is a discrepancy between your passport and the information in SEVIS, we will not be able to issue your visa until you have contacted the school and confirmed that they have corrected the problem. The Embassy cannot contact the school on your behalf.

How do you know whether your SEVIS entry is correct? When you receive your I-20, check it carefully for errors. These are some of the more common ones we have found:

• name misspelled;
• family name and given name(s) reversed;
• date of birth wrong (month and day reversed);
• country of birth or nationality wrong.

If you find an error on the I-20, then your SEVIS entry is most likely also incorrect. You should contact your school immediately, get the error corrected and have them express mail you a new I-20. In most cases, if the information on the paper I-20 is correct, the electronic SEVIS entry will also be correct.

How Soon Can I Arrive In The United States?

If you are an initial or beginning student, you can arrive no earlier than 30 days before the start/report date as shown on the I-20 form . Please consider this date carefully when making travel plans to the United States. The 30 day limitation does not apply to students returning to resume studies; they may enter the United States at any time.

How Long May I Stay In The United States? Do I Have To Leave When My Visa Expires?

When you enter the United States on a student visa, you will usually be admitted for the duration of your student status—this is often abbreviated "D/S" in your passport. This means you may stay as long as you are a full-time student, even if the F-1 or M-1 visa in your passport expires. If your visa has expired and you need to travel abroad, you will need to apply for a new visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate while you are abroad so that you can re-enter the United States and continue your studies.

After you complete the course of studies shown on your I-20 and any authorized practical training, you will have a "grace period" to wrap up your affairs. For F-1 students, you have 60 days to depart the United States or transfer to another school. For M-1 students, you have 30 days past the completion date shown on your I-20 to leave the United States or a total of one year, whichever is less.

What Do Returning Students Need To Re-Enter The United States After A Trip Abroad?

As a returning student, you must present a valid passport, student visa, and I-20 form at the U.S. port of entry. The valid student visa can be in an expired passport as long as the expired passport and your current passport are both from the same country.

My Family Member Plans To Accompany Or Join Me While I am Studying In The United States.  Is He Or She Eligible And What Visa Does He OR She Need?

Only spouses and children of F1 or M1 student visa holders are eligible for derivative (F2 or M2) visas. Parents and other family members are NOT eligible for F2/M2 visas. They may visit a student for a temporary period if they apply for and receive a tourist visa.

Spouses and children, whether accompanying or following to join a student, should submit a visa application and recent photograph for each person. Spouses and children should present a copy of their marriage certificate or birth certificate, respectively. Dependents joining a student already in the United States should all have their own I-20 forms and should all be entered in SEVIS.

For parents of young children studying in the United States, please be advised that there is no special visa available to you that will allow you to live with and take care of your child while he or she studies. You can apply for a B-2 Tourist visa to accompany your child, and you can be granted a stay of up to one year with the possibility of extensions afterward; however, this is by no means guaranteed, and some accompanying parents have experienced great hardship when their requests have been turned down. U.S. immigration law is not set up to accomodate this situation. Please take this into account BEFORE you decide to enroll your child in a U.S. school.

Where Can I Get More Information?

For information about non-immigrant visas, please see the non-immigrant visa section of the U.S. Department of State's Consular Affairs website.

For general information about study in the U.S., please visit Education USA, and U.S. Education Information Center.

If you have a specific question about your case, please e-mail the Singapore consular section.