Applying for a Visa

There are several very important steps in the application of a nonimmigrant visa. Remember to follow each step carefully and be calm and professional in your approach to U.S. officials, and you will find your chance of success will increase.

Scheduling a visit to the Consulate

The first thing you will need to do is to pay your SEVIS fee and receive a receipt for that payment.

In order to secure your nonimmigrant visa, you must visit the U.S. Consulate or Embassy nearest your home town in your country of residence. For example, if you live in the northern-most part of Chile, and the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy is in La Paz, Bolivia, you may not visit that office. You will need to travel to Santiago for your visa request. You will find a list of all U.S. Consulates and Embassies in your country at http://foia.state.gov/MMS/KOH/keyoffcity.asp

The U.S. Consulate or Embassy in every country has different requirements for visa applications. Some require appointments, and some take only walk-in applications. Some will require a background check and fingerprinting, which can take several months. It is important that you contact the Consulate or Embassy as soon as possible to make arrangements for your appointment.

Documents needed for student visa

When you do have your appointment for an F-1 or J-1 student visa application, you should take the following documents:

• A valid passport;
• A SEVIS-generated I-20 or DS-2019 issued by JMU;
• A receipt from DHS indicating your payment of the SEVIS fee;
• Proof of your financial ability to pay for your tuition. This can be a bank statement with personal or family funds, or documentation from a sponsor. The Consulate will want to see proof that you will be supported throughout your entire U.S. stay;
• Proof of your ties to your home community. This could be information about the family you are leaving behind, the job opportunities available to you upon your return, property which you own, etc.

Documents needed for professional J-1 and H-1B visa

When you have your appointment for an H-1B or J-1 scholar or professor visa application, you should take along the following documents:

• A valid passport;
• A letter from JMU detailing your responsibilities and remuneration for your services;
• A receipt from DHS indicating your payment of the SEVIS fee;
• Proof of your financial ability to support yourself. The letter from JMU will be sufficient if you will be receiving salary for your services; otherwise, a bank statement with personal or family funds, or documentation from your sponsoring agency should be submitted. The U.S. official will want to see proof that you will be supported throughout your entire U.S. stay;
• Proof of your ties to your home community. This could be information about the family you are leaving behind, the job opportunities available to you upon your return, property which you own, etc. Note: A person on an H-1B is authorized to hold "dual intent" with regard to the temporary nature of the job. In other words, you might intend to work temporarily on the H-1B visa, but have the dual intent of residing permanently in the U.S. when/if a permanent resident petition is approved on your behalf. In this case, the proof of ties to your home country becomes less important in the visa interview than if you were entering on a different non-immigrant visa.