The information below is intended for students who plan to attend a Webster University campus in the United States.
For information on student visas to attend a campus location outside the United Sates, please refer to the website for the campus location you plan to attend.
As a foreign national, you will need a passport from your government and a temporary visa from the United States Embassy or Consulate to attend Webster University. You need the visa before you can enter the United States. It is best to plan to receive this visa a few months before your studies begin. The two most common types of visas are the F-1 student visa and the J-1 exchange visitor visa.
If you are currently in the U.S. (for example, if you are on OPT) and have already obtained a valid I-20 and would like to transfer it to Webster University, we will work with you on that transfer after you have applied and been accepted to Webster. Apply online here.
Steps to obtain your student visa:
- Certification of Financial Support
- I- 20 (For an F-1 student visa) or DS-2019 (for a J-1 student visa)
- Schedule a Visa Interview
- Complete the Visa Application Forms
- Pay the Visa Fee
- Pay the SEVIS (I-901) Fee
- Prepare for the Visa Interview
Certification of Financial Support
The US Government requires proof that you have the means to support yourself while in the United States. Before Webster can issue an I-20 (for an F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (for a J-1 visa), you must complete the Certification of Financial Support. This should be submitted with your application documents or very soon after. A delay in submitting the certification of finances will delay the entire visa process.
Your Certification of Financial Support must show that you can meet your educational and living expenses for your first year at Webster. While only the first year must be proven in advance, it is important that you have a plan to meet your educational expenses for your entire degree program at Webster.
I-20 (For an F-1 student visa) or DS-2019 (for a J-1 student visa)
Once you have been accepted and submitted your Certification of Financial Support, Webster University will send you an I-20 certificate of eligibility for F-1 student status, or a DS-2019 certificate of eligibility for J-1 student status. You might receive several I-20 forms if you are accepted to several U.S. schools, but you must use the form from the school you want to attend. Sign the I-20 at item #11 or the DS-2019 at the bottom where indicated.
Schedule a Visa Interview
You should contact the U.S. embassy or consulate nearest to your hometown to find out how to make an appointment to apply for your F-1 or J-1 visa. Most applications for initial F and J visas require an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate. Check the Department of State website at http://usembassy.state.gov regarding current procedures, required forms, and operating hours. Security clearance may be necessary for some applicants and those procedures can take 2 to 4 months (and in some cases longer) in addition to the normal processing time. It is important to apply for your student visa as early as possible, but not more than 120 days prior to the start of your program.
Visa application forms
You will probably be able to download instructions and forms from your Consulate's website. The forms are also available at: http://www.travel.state.gov
Complete the following forms:
- DS-156 Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form
- DS-158 Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant
- If you are a male between the ages of 16 and 45, you also need the DS-157 Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application (forms online).
- Additional forms that may be required by your consulate.
Visa Fee
Pay the $100 Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fee by following instructions on your local U.S. embassy or consulate's website. Note that this fee is different from the $100 "SEVIS Fee" described below. (You may also have to pay a visa issuance fee, which is based on reciprocity between your country and the United States. You will find out if this is necessary by referring to the consulate website.)
SEVIS (I-901) Fee
You will also need to pay the $100 SEVIS fee. Note that this fee is different from the $100 "Visa Fee" described above. This fee must be paid before you have your visa appointment. Some consulates require that you pay the fee before you make your appointment.
You must bring the receipt of fee payment with you to your visa interview. If you have lost the receipt, the Visa Officer should be able to view your payment history on the computer.
If you are transferring schools, extending your program, applying for an F-2 dependent visa, or have paid this fee and been denied a visa within the last twelve months, you do not need to pay the $100 SEVIS fee.
There are three ways to pay the SEVIS fee: online, by mail, or by Western Union. We recommend that you pay the fee online by following the instructions:
- Complete the Form I-901 online at http://www.fmjfee.com using your Visa, MasterCard or American Express information. IMPORTANT: write your name and billing address exactly how it appears on your I-20 form.
- Print a copy of the online receipt.
- Make copies of your receipt, and keep it with your other important immigration documents.
If you cannot pay online, the next best way to pay the fee is by using the Western Union Quick Pay™ service. A properly completed Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof of payment for a visa interview. This option is available in any country where Western Union offers it’s Quick Pay™ service. To see where this service is available, check the Western Union Payment Solutions website and follow the instructions below:
- Request and fill out the blue form. All Western Union Quick Pay™ forms will be blue. You must completely fill out all appropriate information. Sample forms with instructions can be found on the ICE website, links below:
Sample “blue” form for F and M visa applicants
Sample “blue” form for J visa applicants
If you are not able to pay online or by Western Union, you may pay by mail using the instructions below:
- Complete the Form I-901 "Fee Remittance for Certain F, J, and M Non-immigrants" provided in your Webster University acceptance packet, or download the form from http://www.fmjfee.com.
IMPORTANT: Write your name and billing address exactly how it appears on your I-20 form. - Prepare a check, international money order or foreign draft (drawn on US banks only*) in the amount of $100 USD, made payable to "The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
- Mail the completed I-901 and payment to the address listed on Form I-901. Keep a copy of the form for your records.
- A Form I-797 receipt confirmation letter should be mailed to you within 3 days of processing the fee. Make copies of this receipt letter, and keep it with your other important immigration documents.
*Many foreign banks are able to issue checks or money orders drawn on a U.S. bank. You may therefore obtain a check from: a) a bank chartered or operated in the United States; b) a foreign subsidiary of a U.S. bank; or c) a foreign bank that has an arrangement with a U.S. bank to issue a check, money order, or foreign draft that is drawn on a U.S. bank.
Preparing for Your Visa Interview
Arrive at your interview early and answer all the Visa Officer's questions to you openly and honestly. Although this experience may be stressful, above all, be courteous, calm and confident. This is your final hurdle—You are almost here!
In preparation for your interview, ask yourself the following questions:
What major am I planning to study in the United States? How can I use the knowledge I learn when I return home? What kind of jobs will be available to me when I return to my home country? What personal/ family ties do I have at home? Do I have close relatives, etc? What other personal, professional and financial reasons do I have to return home?
Prepare and bring the following to your visa interview:
- Your passport valid for at least six months
- Your Form I-20 or DS-2019 from Webster University
- Your Webster University acceptance letter
- Your Completed visa applications (DS-156, DS-158, and, if applicable, DS-157)
- Two 2"x 2" photographs in the prescribed format (see the travel.state.gov website)
- Your receipt for the visa application fee
- Your receipt for the SEVIS fee. If you have not received an official receipt in the mail showing payment and you paid the fee electronically, the consulate will accept the temporary receipt you printed from your computer. If you do not have a receipt, the consulate may be able to see your payment on the computer if your fee payment was processed at least 3 business days before your interview.
- Your original financial documents that show you have enough funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period you intend to study. This includes the Certification of Financial Support. If you have a sponsor, you must bring the support letter and bank statement of your sponsor.
- Any information that proves you will return to your home country after finishing your studies in the U.S. F-1 student status is for a temporary 'non-immigrant' stay in the United States. You may need to prove that you will return to your home country by showing personal and professional ties to your community, for example, proof of property (original documents of ownership required), or family (residing in your home country). Students may have problems documenting their plan to return home if:
- They have previously stayed in the United States longer than permitted.
- They have many close family members living in the United States.
- They are not able to clearly explain why they plan to study in the United States and then return home.
- They are from a country where many students have not returned home after studying in the United States.