Apply for a Visa Stamp

We recommend that you read the Department of State page on Special Visa Processing Procedures.

An interview with a consular officer – now mandatory for all visa applicants – will help determine the outcome of your application. Consider the following information when preparing for these crucial interviews:

• Interviews are usually very short, so you should make efficient use of your time with the consular officer.
• Proper preparation means producing as much documented proof as possible that you meet the criteria that consular officers typically consider important.
• Interested parties may provide written information to support your application but may not always be allowed to accompany you to the interview.
• It is difficult to overcome an initial rejection of a visa application. Although consular officers will reconsider cases if visa applications are denied, applicants must be able to show convincing evidence that their personal, professional or financial circumstances have changed since the previous application. Prepare your first application carefully by presenting your case as clearly as possible.

Nonimmigrants wishing to apply for a visa in a country other than their country of citizenship are referred to as “Third Country Nationals” (TCNs). Applying for a visa in a third country may be more difficult than applying in your home country. You should be aware that although some consular offices do accept visa applications from TCNs, the process may be more time-consuming, and the possibility of a visa denial may be higher than when applying in your home country. In these cases, the officer has to take extra measures to become informed about the applicant’s relationship to their home country and the U.S.

You may need to prove that you have continuously maintained lawful non-immigrant status during your time in the U.S. or you may be sent to your home country to apply for the visa. Refusal or delays in a third country are more likely than at home, so plan well in advance of your date of travel.

If your visa will expire before you return to the U.S., allow enough time outside the U.S. to renew your visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. It’s not possible to renew a visa while inside the U.S. Renewing a visa is similar to applying for the initial visa, as each application is considered independent.

Your visa is only used for entry to the U.S. and the validity period of a visa does not determine how long you can stay in the U.S. You can stay in the U.S. past the expiration date of your visa as long as your status has not expired and your electronic I-94 record reflects the proper status.

If you are traveling to Canada, Mexico, or contiguous territories, you may be eligible for Automatic Visa Revalidation.

It is okay to remain in the U.S. after your visa expires as long as:

• Your passport is valid AND
• Your immigration status is valid (based on your I-20, DS-2019, or I-797 Approval Notice) AND
• You are a continuing full-time student (or for students on post-completion OPT or Academic Training, you are following the OPT or Academic Training rules) OR
• You are actively engaging in your program objectives (J-1 exchange visitors) OR
• You are working at WashU as indicated by your immigration status (H-1B, E-3, TN, O-1)

The information that follows has been compiled from websites prepared by the U.S. Department of State to provide guidance for student visa applicants.

Although there are many suggestions given here, remember that each consulate and consular officer is different and may follow different procedures in processing visa applications, require specific documentation to supplement applications, and give more attention to certain criteria than others when reviewing application materials. Remember also that each applicant’s case is different and will be considered separately from any other applicant’s case. You may prepare extensively and be denied a visa while a friend who appears less prepared is granted one.

Consular officers reviewing student visa applications appear to have four (4) main concerns. These criteria are listed below and are followed by suggestions of ways to establish that you meet the criteria. This is NOT a comprehensive checklist of things you can do to ensure that your visa is approved. Although following all the advice listed on this page does not guarantee you will be granted a visa, it should help you prepare for the application and increase the chances that you will be successful.

In the event that your visa application is denied, please contact OISS.

Purpose

You should carefully consider your purpose for coming to the U.S. before you apply for a visa. As a student visa applicant, your primary purpose in the U.S. should be to be a full-time student. Your application is likely to be denied if it appears that you have only partial or secondary interest in your intended immigration status.

Intent

You have both the ability and intention to follow the guidelines of your academic program.

• Your ability can be proven with sufficient academic preparation and English-language knowledge. You can document your ability with items such as your diploma, transcripts of courses and test scores. Verbal responses and written statements you give to the officer during the interview will be viewed as further evidence of your English-language ability. Therefore, you should acknowledge any assistance you have had in preparing statements written in English.
• Your intention can be evidenced by specific plans and clear academic and career goals. Your status document (the I-20 or DS-2019) and acceptance letter (for students) or invitation letter (for scholars) issued to you by WashU will help to support your intention. However, your verbal and written statements also have an impact on the consular officer’s perception of your intent.

Funding

You have funds to cover tuition, health insurance, living and anticipated incidental expenses during your stay in the U.S. without engaging in unauthorized employment.

• The use of personal or family funds for your financial support in the U.S. can be documented by an official statement from a bank stipulating the availability of funds for withdrawal both from the financial institution and the country in which it is located.
• Proof of a scholarship, assistantship or fellowship award can be documented with a letter from the sponsor stating ability and intention to provide funds.

• When applying for a non-immigrant visa, you must provide credible financial information and other required documents listed on the U.S. embassy or consulate website to prove your eligibility.

Intent to return to home country

Visa denials often result from applicants’ failure to prove to the consular officer that they have “strong ties” to their countries of residence. You will need to prove that you have economic, family, social or other ties to your country that are strong enough to compel your departure from the U.S. upon the completion of your studies. You may be able to meet these criteria with documented proof of:

• Assets in your country—such as an apartment, a house, land or investments—accompanied by appropriate proof of ownership (lease, deed, financial statement, receipt, etc.).
• Dependents remaining in your country, such as a spouse, children or elderly parents. Your claim that dependents will rely on you for financial support upon your return to your country might be supported by letters from interested parties (e.g., family members, friends, members of the clergy, social workers, etc.).
• Employment which you may resume or begin upon your return to your country. The nature of this agreement should be detailed in a contract or letter from your employer.
• Employment opportunities or prospects which are likely to be available in your country upon your return (evidenced by articles or advertisements in newspapers, academic or professional publications, etc.).
• Career goals (specified in your verbal or written statements) and talent and potential (supported by letters from former instructors or academic advisers) in your field of study.
• High social status in your country or connections to influential business people or government officials in your country (supporters by letters written by the influential people).
• If you are on F-1 post-completion OPT, STEM OPT or J-1 Academic Training with a pending or approved H-1B petition, you must still demonstrate ties to your home country.

If you don’t provide sufficient evidence of your intent to return home, your non-immigrant visa application may be denied. If you previously worked, studied, or lived in the U.S., you may be asked to show proof of maintaining legal immigration status during that period.