U.S. Immigration - Obtaining a Visa

Immigration Requirements for Entry to the U. S. (F-1 Students)

In order to enter the United States and enroll at the University at Albany, you will need to acquire an F1-Visa. There are a number of steps for you to follow in completing this process:

1. Review your SEVIS Form I-20. After being accepted to Albany, the Graduate Admissions Office will send you a SEVIS Form I-20. You use this form to apply for an F1 Visa. If any information on your Form I-20 is incorrect, please contact Graduate Admissions immediately. If you have informed us of any dependents (husband or wife, children under the age of 21) who will travel with you to the United States, each of them will receive their own dependent Form I-20 to apply for an F-2 visa. Note that the spelling of your name and your date of birth must be exactly the same as reflected in your passport. The same is true for dependents.
2. Make Sure Your Passport is Valid. In order to avoid possible problems applying for a visa or entering the U.S., it is recommended that your passport be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you intend to remain in the U.S.
3. Pay the SEVIS Fee. There is a $100 SEVIS fee to be paid before you can receive an F1 Visa. This fee must be paid by new F1 students with “initial attendance” I-20s issued on or after September 1, 2004. F-2 dependents or students currently in the U.S. are not required to pay the SEVIS fee. Citizens of Canada and Bermuda are exempt from the requirement to possess a visa to enter the U.S. However, they are still required to pay the SEVIS fee.

Please refer to the following Student and Exchange Visitor website for more information: http://www.ice.gov/graphics/sevis/. All students who pay the SEVIS fee will receive a formal receipt that should be used as proof of fee payment. To pay the SEVIS fee online, go to https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml and follow the instructions.

4. Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for an F1 visa. You must contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to schedule an appointment for an interview for your visa application. Please refer to the following U.S. Department of State (USDOS) website for more information about the interview: http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions_embassy.html
5. Travel to the U.S. Once you have obtained your F-1 visa, you are ready to travel to the U.S. Immigration regulations allow you to enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to the start of your program as indicated in section 5 of your SEVIS Form I-20.