Student Visa Procedures

In addition to a passport, international students need a student visa in order to enter the United States and enroll in college or university.

Who is an International Student?

Like all countries in the world, the United States has laws and regulations governing foreigners who are temporarily within its borders. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)–United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers the Immigration regulations.

International students are those who already have, or will be applying for, a temporary visa (most commonly the F-1 and J-1 visas) to study in the U.S. Therefore, it is important for you to understand the immigration rules as they apply to your student status. DHS-USCIS does not consider ignorance of the law a legitimate reason for failing to obey it.

Your Passport

Be sure to apply for a passport in your home country with first and last names that exactly match the first and last names on the education documents you will submit to SUNY Plattsburgh. Most passports are good for a limited time. Your passport must be valid at all times after you arrive to the United States. It is your responsibility to apply for the passport and to remember when it will expire and contact the nearest consulate or embassy of your country in the states to renew it.

When to Apply for a Visa

You are eligible to apply for a student visa after you are accepted into a program of study. When SUNY Plattsburgh accepts most international students for full-time study, we enter the student’s information into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and send the student a SEVIS I-20 form as proof of acceptance and to use it to apply for an F-1 student visa. Thereafter, the student must present documents to the U.S. embassy/consulate at his/her home country to apply for the visa. The official Directory of United States Embassies and Consulates Overseas will help you find the contact information for the embassy nearest to you.

For more information, please visit our Getting a Student Visa page.

After You Have Applied for a Visa

Once you have submitted all of your information to the U.S embassy/consulate to apply for a student visa, the embassy will verify your information in the SEVIS system and decide to issue or deny you a visa.

If You Are Denied a Visa

Please visit the United States’ Department of State web site to learn more about the visa denial.

If You Are Granted a Visa

The U.S embassy/consulate will add a visa sticker with your photo in your passport. The visa allows you to enter the United States for a specific purpose in a clearly defined time frame. Students are usually given an F-1 or J-1 visa. Spouses and children of F-1 visa holders are assigned an F-2 visa. J-1 visas are given to researchers, scholars and students. Spouses and children of these visitors are assigned J-2 visas.

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F-1 Student Information
Ten Points to Remember When Applying for a Visa

1. Ties to Your Home Country
Under U.S. law, all applicants for non-immigrant visas, such as student visas, are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must, therefore, show that your reasons for returning to your home country are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. “Ties” to your home country are things that connect you to your hometown, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. As a prospective undergraduate, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational goals, long-range plans and career prospects in your home country. Each person’s situation is different, and there is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or letter that can guarantee you a visa. If you have applied for the U.S. Green Card Lottery, you may be asked if you are hoping to immigrate. A simple answer would be that you applied for the lottery since it was available, but not with a specific intent to immigrate. If you overstayed your authorized stay in the U.S. previously, be prepared to explain what happened clearly and concisely with documentation if available.

2. English
Expect that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, but do NOT prepare speeches!

3. Speak for Yourself
Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family. You will make a negative impression if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf.

4. Know the Program and How It Fits Your Career Plan
You should also be able to explain how studying in the U.S. relates to your future professional career when you return home.

5. Be Brief
Because of the number of applications received, consular officers are under pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute of the interview. Therefore, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer’s questions short and to the point.

6. Additional Documentation
It should be immediately clear to the consular officer what documents you are presenting and what they mean. Lengthy documents cannot be read or evaluated quickly. Remember that you will have 2–3 minutes of interview time, if you are lucky.

7. Not All Countries Are Equal
Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the U.S as immigrants will have difficulty getting visas. They are more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the U.S.

8. Employment
Your main purpose of coming to the United States should be to study, not to work before or after graduation. While many students do work on-campus during their studies, such employment is secondary to completing their degree. You must clearly explain your plan to return home at the end of your program. If your spouse is also applying for an accompanying F-2 visa, be aware that F-2 dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the U.S. If asked, be prepared to tell the officer what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the U.S. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities.

9. Dependents at Home
If your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to explain how they will support themselves while you are gone. This can be especially tricky if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gets the impression that your family will need you to send money from the United States in order to support themselves, your student visa application will almost certainly be denied. If your family does decide to join you at a later time, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa.

10. Maintain a Positive Attitude
Do not argue with the consular officer. If you are denied a visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to change the decision, and try to get the reason you were denied in writing.