USA STUDENT VISA PROCESS

Generally speaking, the process for Indian citizens to apply for a visa to study in the U.S. is straightforward. Make sure that the application is completed in a timely and accurate manner. The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Embassy offices welcome visa applications from international students. The U.S. Department of State issued 715,093 student, exchange, and vocational visas in the fiscal year and the worldwide application acceptance rate was over 86%.

This page is meant to be a general guide to the visa application process in the USA. For official information on student visas, consult the website of the U.S. Embassy in India. Any information provided to you by the U.S. Embassy supersedes information on this Webpage

Supporting Documents for visa
Applications without all of these items will not be accepted.
Note: Children under 14 years of age are not required to attend the appointment at the Visa
Application Centre or visa interview at the Embassy/Consulate. Accompany/Guardians/Parents can carry the above documents.

Supporting Documents
Supporting documents are only one of many factors a consular officer will consider in your interview. Consular officers look at each application individually and consider professional, social, cultural and other factors during adjudication. Consular officers may look at your specific intentions, family situation, and your long-range plans and prospects within your country of residence. Each case is examined individually and is accorded every consideration under the law.

Caution: Do not present false documents. Fraud or misrepresentation can result in permanent visa ineligibility. If confidentiality is a concern, you should bring your documents to the Embassy or Consulate in a sealed envelope. The Embassy or Consulate will not make your information available to anyone and will respect the confidentiality of your information.

You should bring the following documents to your interview:
Documents demonstrating strong financial, social, and family ties to your home country that will compel you to return to your country after your program of study in the United States ends.
Financial and any other documents you believe will support your application and which give credible evidence that you have enough readily-available funds to meet all expenses for the first year of study and that you have access to funds sufficient to cover all expenses while you remain in the United States. M-1 applicants must demonstrate the ability to pay all tuition and living costs for the entire period of their intended stay.
Photocopies of bank statements will not be accepted unless you can also show original copies of bank statements or original bank books.
If you are financially sponsored by another person, bring proof of your relationship to the sponsor (such as your birth certificate), the sponsor's most recent original tax forms and the sponsor's bankbooks and/or fixed deposit certificates.
Academic documents that show scholastic preparation. Useful documents include school transcripts (original copies are preferred) with grades, public examination certificates (A-levels, etc.), standardized test scores (SAT, TOEFL, etc.), and diplomas.

Dependents
Spouses, including same-sex spouses, and/or unmarried children under the age of 21 who wish to accompany or join the principal visa holder in the United States for the duration of his or her stay require derivative F or M visas. There is no derivative visa for the parents of F or M holders.
Family members who do not intend to reside in the United States with the principal visa holder, but wish to visit for vacations only, may be eligible to apply for visitor (B-2) visas.
Spouses and dependents may not work in the United States on a derivative F or M visa. If your spouse/child seeks employment, the spouse must obtain the appropriate work visa.
Supporting Documents for Dependents
Applicants with dependents must also provide:
Proof of the student's relationship to his or her spouse and/or child (e.g., marriage and birth certificates)
It is preferred that families apply for their visas at the same time, but if the spouse and/or child 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.

Application for USA Visa:
A Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) Form. Visit the DS-160 web page for more information about the DS-160.
A passport valid for travel to the United States with validity dates at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person desiring a visa must submit an application.
One (1) 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) photograph taken within the last six months. This web page has information about the required photo format.
If a visa is issued, there may be an additional visa issuance reciprocity fee, depending on your nationality. The Department of State's website can help you find out if you must pay a visa issuance reciprocity fee and what the fee amount is.
An approved original signed Form I-20 from your U.S. school or program.
In addition to these items, you must present an interview appointment letter confirming that you booked an appointment through this service. You may also bring whatever supporting documents you believe support the information provided to the consular officer.

How to Apply:-

Step 1 For Nonimmigrant Visa applicants: Determine your visa type by reading Common Nonimmigrant Visas. Each visa type explains the qualifications and application items. Choose the visa type that applies to your situation.
Be sure to also review the Visa Waiver Program. If your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program, you do not need to apply for a visa if you are travelling for business or pleasure and will only be staying in the Unites States for 90 days or less.
Note: If you are under 14 or over 79 years old, or if you previously received a U.S. visa that expired within the last 12 months and you are returning to the United States for the same purpose of travel, you may be able to obtain a visa without coming to the consulate for an interview.

Step 2
the next step is to complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form. Be sure to read the Guidelines for Completing the DS-160 Form carefully. All information must be correct and accurate. Once the form is submitted, you cannot make any changes. If you need assistance, please consult an immigration lawyer or translator. The call center cannot help you complete your DS-160. You will need your DS-160 number to book your appointment.
Note: If denied visa previously please complete a new Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) form.

Step 3
Once you have determined the correct visa type and completed the DS-160, you must pay the visa fee. The visa types and correlating visa fee in US dollars and native currency.
To pay your visa fee, read the Bank and Payment Options page. This page explains how to make your visa fee payment. You will create a profile and must keep your receipt number to book your visa appointment

Step 4
You are almost ready to schedule your visa appointment! Now you will need to login to your profile with the same credentials you used to pay your visa fee. Once you are in the system, you will see your dashboard. Click on Schedule Appointment on the left-hand side menu. This will start the process for scheduling your appointment. You must schedule two appointments, one for the Visa Application Center (VAC) and one for the visa interview at the Embassy or Consulate.
First, schedule your appointment at a Visa Application Center. This appointment will allow you to go to one of the five Visa Application Center locations to have your fingerprints and photo taken. This appointment must be at least 1 day before your visa interview appointment at the Embassy or Consulate.
Second, schedule your visa interview appointment at the Embassy or Consulate. You will need three pieces of information in order to schedule your appointment:
Your passport number
The date you paid your fee
The ten (10) digit barcode number from your DS-160 confirmation page
As you go through the process you will be able to select your visa type, enter personal data, add dependents, select your document delivery location, confirm visa payment, and schedule your appointment.

Step 5
For your Visa Application Centre appointment, you will need to bring:
A passport valid for travel to the United States with validity dates at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person desiring a visa must submit an application.
Your DS-160 confirmation page.
Your appointment confirmation page.
One photograph as per U.S. visa specifications if the applicant is under 14 years of age. See the Photos and Fingerprints page for more details.

Step 6
following your visit to the Visa Application Centre to have your photo and fingerprints taken, you will then visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the date and time of your visa interview. You must bring:
A printed copy of your appointment letter,
Your DS-160 confirmation page
Your current and all old passports

USA Visa Application Fee
To apply for an F or M visa, you must pay your $160 application fee