Intro
A student visa is a special document that is essential for traveling to foreign countries for the purpose of education. Any student who wishes to travel to a foreign country for studying must get this document. However, most students get confused about which type of student visa they must get. So, to solve this problem today we are going to learn about the different types of USA student visas in detail. Furthermore, we will learn about their costs and how to apply for them.
Types of Student Visas
There are mainly three types of USA student visas:
F1 Student Visa:
F1 student visa is for students who join a program that requires them to study for 18 hours or more in a week. These programs may be UG programs or PG programs such as MS, MBA, etc. Spouse/children of F1 visa recipients can travel with them on an F2 visa. To learn more about F1 student visas feel free to contact our overseas education consultants for USA.
J1 Exchange Visitor Visa:
The J1 visa is a visitor visa for students who visit scholars enrolled in an exchange program. This visa is mainly for working professionals who travel to the USA on an exchange program. For example, a student who enrolls himself in a short-term program at an Indian university can travel to America on a J1 visa. Spouse/children of J1 visa recipients can travel with them on a J2 visa.
M1 Visa:
M1 visa is for students who enroll themselves in a program of vocational/technical schools. The process of obtaining an M1 visa is very similar to obtaining an F1 visa. The only difference between both the visas is that the M1 visa is time-stamped while the F1 visa does not come with a time limit.
Cost of F1 Visa
The cost of getting an F1 student visa is approximately $510. The amount covers the cost of the visa as well as the SEVIS fee and maintenance fees.
Cost of J1 Visa
The cost of a J1 Visa may vary depending upon the duration of your stay in the country. However, there are a few other charges that every who wishes to get a J1 visa has to pay. This includes:
- visa processing fee ($160)
- SEVIS fee ($220)
Cost of M1 Visa
The cost of an M-1 visa is $160. Additionally, you will also have to pay a SEVIS fee of $200 separately to get an M1 student visa.
The Process to Get an F1 Visa
The process of getting an F1 visa is very different from getting a tourist visa in the US. You will need to complete lots of formalities to get the visa. Additionally, you will need lots of documents to get it. Following are the documents that you will have to submit to get an F1 visa:
- A valid passport
- Copy of DS-160 form
- SEVIS fee receipt
- Interview appointment letter
- Form I-20
- Visa fees receipt
- Copy of bank statement
- Payslips
- Original mark sheets
- Provisional certificates
- TOEFL/IELTS score sheet
Once you arrange all the necessary documents schedule your biometric/interview appointment to get the F1 student visa.
The Process to Get a J1 Visa
To apply for the J1 visa the very first thing that you will have to do is join an exchange program via an assigned sponsor in the USA. Once you get admission to the exchange program, you can submit a request for a J1 visa. Following are the documents that you will need to get a J1 visa
- A valid passport
- Photograph
- Nonimmigrant visa application form
- Visa fee receipt
- Form DS- 2019
- Form DS- 7002
- J1 visa health insurance
Once you arrange all the necessary documents schedule your biometric/interview appointment to get the F1 student visa.
The Process to Get an M1 Visa
Just like an F1 student visa you will have to complete lots of formalities and submit various documents to get an M1 visa. Following are the documents that you will need for an M1 visa:
- A valid passport
- DS-160 form
- Visa appointment letter
- Visa fee receipt
- Original I-20 form
- Original mark sheets
- Provisional certificates
- TOEFL/IELTS score sheet
- Proof of financial stability
Once you arrange all the necessary documents schedule your biometric/interview appointment to get the M1 student visa. For more information about the M1 visa process feel free to contact our USA study visa consultants in Chandigarh.
Conclusion
Now you are aware of different types of student visas, their purpose, and the process to apply for them. So, make sure you keep all this in mind while applying for a US student visa. This will ensure that you don’t end up applying for the wrong type of visa.