Navigating The Visa Process

Jamie Rogan: Hello, I’m Jamie Rogan, Assistant Director of WashU Law’s International and Graduate Programs. I’m joined today by Jeanne Pizarro. She’s an International Student Advisor in the Office of International Students and Scholars. Jeanne is going to give us some tips and tricks for navigating the visa process. Jeanne, thank you so much for joining us today.

Jeanne Pizarro: Thank you so much for having me, Jamie.

Jamie Rogan: So, after the applicant has received either their DS-2019 or their I-20 from us, they have to pay their SEVIS fee and complete the DS-160 visa application. Can you tell us more about these steps?

Jeanne Pizarro: Yes.

First, I want to say that the best place to start is on our website, oiss.wustl.edu, where we have a page that has all of the step-by-step instructions for this process and the links to the different websites you’ll need to use as you go through the visa application process. You can find the specific page by searching “Apply for a visa stamp.”

Like Jamie said, step 1 of the process is to apply for your DS-2019 or I-20. Once you have the I-20 or DS-2019, step 2 is to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. You’ll pay the fee online using the U.S. government’s website, fmjfee.com. After you pay the fee, you should print the payment confirmation. You’ll need to show the printed proof of SEVIS fee payment to the U.S. consular officer at your visa interview, and to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer when you’re entering the U.S.

Any students who are already in active F-1 visa status and who are transferring their F-1 record from their current university in the U.S. to WashU do not need to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee again. Transfer students should print a copy of the SEVIS fee payment receipt from fmjfee.com, and they’ll use that if they need to apply for a new entry visa in their passport, or use it when entering the U.S.

Step 3 is to complete the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application — the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application — through the U.S. Department of State. Our website, oiss.wustl.edu, has a really helpful page with guidance for completing the DS-160 application. You can find that page by typing “DS-160” in the search bar.

Students should know that it’ll take between one hour and one and a half hours to finish the application. It’s possible to start filling out the DS-160 and save the form, then come back later to finish it. Once you start the DS-160, you’ll get an application ID number, which you will need in order to schedule your visa interview. So you can schedule the visa interview before finalizing the DS-160.

Keep in mind, you’ll have 60 days to complete the DS-160 after you start filling out the application. And you must have completed the DS-160 application before your visa interview date. You’ll need to take a printout of the DS-160 confirmation page with you to your interview.

Another thing to note: if you are coming to the U.S. with F-2 or J-2 dependents, only the F-1 and J-1 are required to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. But every individual — F-1, F-2, J-1, and J-2 — coming to the U.S. must submit a separate DS-160 application.

Jamie Rogan: Okay, that’s helpful. So the students have now paid their SEVIS fee and completed the visa application — what is next?

Jeanne Pizarro: The next step — step 4 — is to schedule and attend the visa interview at a U.S. consulate or embassy. Many consulates and embassies provide online appointment scheduling. We recommend going to the U.S. Consulates and Embassies Abroad website, which is linked on our website. You’ll need to navigate to the U.S. consulate or embassy where you want to schedule your interview, and then follow the instructions on their website for scheduling.

Visa interview wait times and processing times can really vary depending on the country and the time of year. Sometimes a student’s visa application might go into administrative processing, which means that your application will go through a rigid and time-consuming background check before it can be approved or denied. If your application goes into administrative processing, there’s not much that WashU or OISS can do to speed things up. Administrative processing is determined by the U.S. government, so we recommend scheduling your appointment as soon as you’re able to.

For F-1 students, you can apply for a visa stamp up to 365 days before the program start date listed on your I-20.

Jamie Rogan: And what if students cannot get an interview soon?

Jeanne Pizarro: That’s a great question. It is possible to request an expedited appointment for your visa interview if you’re nearing your I-20 program start date. The specific process for requesting the expedited appointment can be different at different U.S. consulates and embassies, so it’s important to first book an appointment and then follow the instructions on that consulate or embassy’s website to request the expedited interview date.

Typically, you’ll need to provide your I-20 or DS-2019 showing the program start date, to show that you’ll be missing the beginning of your program unless you’re given an expedited visa appointment.

Jamie Rogan: Okay — so it’s now time for the student to prepare for the visa interview. What should they do before the interview to prepare?

Jeanne Pizarro: Visa interviews are typically very short. Students should make sure that they’re prepared, so that they can make the most of the short time that they will be with the visa officer. OISS recommends that students make sure they have printouts, on paper, of all required documents they might be asked to show the visa officer.

This includes the student’s I-20 or DS-2019, their SEVIS fee payment confirmation, their DS-160 confirmation page, their financial documents, and any other documentation that shows they meet the criteria that consular officers consider important for an F-1 or J-1 visa.

If a student is denied a visa at their interview, it can be difficult to overcome — though not impossible. This is why preparing for the interview first is so important.

Jamie Rogan: And what tips should students remember during the interview?

Jeanne Pizarro: Yes — the first thing to keep in mind is your purpose. In other words: what is the reason that you’re applying for an F-1 or J-1 visa? Remember that F-1 and J-1 student visas are granted to individuals whose primary purpose in the U.S. is to be a full-time student. The U.S. government is more likely to deny an application for a student if it appears that they’re only partially interested in being a full-time student.

You need to show in your application and interview that you have both the ability and intention to follow the guidelines of your academic program in the U.S. The visa officer will expect you to demonstrate sufficient academic preparation and English language knowledge. Your diploma, transcripts of courses, and test scores can show academic preparation. Your acceptance letter from WashU and I-20 or DS-2019 show your specific plans and clear academic goals. And your communication in English — what you’ve written in your application and how you verbally communicate during your interview — should be evidence of your English language ability. All of these things have an impact on how the officer perceives your intent.

You’ll also need to show that you already have sufficient funding to cover tuition, health insurance, and living expenses while you’re pursuing your degree in the U.S. You should be prepared to show your financial documentation of personal or family funds, scholarships, or other awards. Remember — if you’re bringing bank statements or financial documents that are in someone else’s name, you’ll want to be sure you have written confirmation from the person sponsoring your education. Essentially, visa officers want to know that you’ll be able to support yourself financially without engaging in unauthorized employment while you’re in the U.S. studying.

Finally, students will need to prove their intent to return to their home country after completing their degree in the U.S. The F-1 and J-1 student visas are nonimmigrant visas, so visa officers will be looking for proof that you have strong ties to your home country of residence. You can demonstrate these ties by providing proof of economic, family, social, or other ties that are strong enough to compel you to depart the U.S. after completing your degree.

Some examples of these ties are showing proof of ownership of assets — like an apartment, house, land, or other real estate that you own. A student might have a spouse or child dependent who remains in their home country and who will rely on them for financial support when they return home after their degree. Students might have a job to return to, or might show that increased employment opportunities will be open to them after earning their degree in the U.S. Having high social status in your country, or connections to influential business people or government officials, can also be compelling reasons to return home.

Anyone who has previously worked, lived, or studied in the U.S. may also be asked to provide proof that they maintained legal immigration status during that period.

Just to summarize and recap: you need to demonstrate your purpose in the U.S. is to be a full-time student and follow F-1 or J-1 student guidelines, that you have sufficient funding to support yourself in the U.S., and that you have compelling evidence of your intent to return to your home country after completing your degree.

Finally, in addition to what I’ve said today, I definitely recommend reviewing our website, oiss.wustl.edu. OISS has visa application advice and a lot of helpful resources and tips for a successful visa application.

Jamie Rogan: Well, Jeanne — thank you so much. That was so informative, and I know our applicants will find this information extremely helpful.

Jeanne Pizarro: I’m so glad to hear it. Thanks for having me, Jamie.