More Information
Non-Immigrant Visas
Students
The Immigrant and Nationality Act (INA) provides two nonimmigrant visa categories for persons wishing to study in the United States. The "F" visa is for academic studies, and the "M" visa is for nonacademic or vocational studies.
Scholastic Preparation
The student visa applicant must have successfully completed a course of study normally required for enrollment. The student, unless coming to participate exclusively in an English language training program, must either be sufficiently proficient in English to pursue the intended course of study, or the school must have made special arrangements for English language courses or teach the course in the student's native language.
Financial Resources
Applicants must also prove that sufficient funds are or will be available from an identified and reliable financial resource to defray all living and school expenses during the entire period of anticipated study in the United States. Specifically, applicants must prove they have enough readily available funds for each subsequent year of study. The "M-1" student visa applicants must have evidence that sufficient funds are immediately available to pay all tuition and living costs for the entire period of intended stay.
Acceptance Form
An applicant coming to the United States to study must be accepted for a full course of study by an education institution approved by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). The student visa applicant must have successfully completed a course of study normally required for enrollment. The school must send to the applicant a Form I-20A-B, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant ("F-1") Student Status for Academic and Language Students. The nonacademic or vocational institution must send to the student a Form I-20M-N, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant ("M-1") Student Status for Vocational Students. Educational institutions must obtain Forms I-20-B and I-20M-N from the BCIS.
Other Documentation
Student visa applicants must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that they have binding ties to a residence outside the United States, which they have no intention of abandoning, and that they will depart the United States when they have completed their studies. It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take since applicants' circumstances vary greatly.
All student applicants are required to pay the SEVIS fee prior to submitting their application. Details are available here.
South African citizens must pay a reciprocity fee of $85 (Rand rate subject to change on a monthly basis) for student visas. The fee must be paid in US dollars, SA rand or with a credit card at the time the visa is approved.