As I’ve never been to the U.S., I’m concerned about the culture shock and other problems I’m going to encounter… more
Thanks to the Opportunity Funds awarded by AMINEF/EducationUSA which supplemented the scholarship that I obtained from Kent State University (KSU),… more
Visa Information
1. Applying for a Student Visa
Unless you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will need a student visa to study in the U.S. Contact the nearest EducationUSA advising center and U.S. consulate or embassy for student visa and application information. A list of U.S. embassies worldwide can be found at usembassy.state.gov.
Common Types of U.S. Student Visa:
F-1 Academic and Language Students
M-1 Technical or Vocational Students
J-1 Study Exchange Students
Basic requirements
To be eligible for a student visa, you must:
1) Have sufficient academic qualifications
- Have been accepted for a short-term or a degree course (the document required is the I-20 form sent by your college/university).
- Have sufficient scholastic preparation; useful documents include school transcripts, national examination results (HKCEE, HKALE, etc.), standardized test scores (SAT, TOEFL, etc.), and any diplomas you may have.
- Have academic commitment – provide reasons for choosing to study in America, your particular college or university, major, and your career plans.
2) Have enough money to pay for your school fees and living expenses
- Have capability to remain in school until graduation.
- Evidence can include yours and your immediate family’s social and economic situation such as proof of employment, property ownership, and savings.
- The best evidence of finances often includes original bank books, original statements of financial accounts from the bank (“rekening koran” in Indonesian), and/or proof of scholarship. (Photocopies and letters cannot be considered credible). We must see that you can pay in full for at least your first year of study and that it is likely you can do so for the remaining years, without need to work in the U.S.
3) Will return to your home country once completing studies
- Have strong reasons for returning home, demonstrable by your family, social, and economic ties, and your career plans in your home country.
For more specific student visa application procedures and requirements, check the US Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov and your city/country’s embassy website
2. SEVIS II: Advice for Students and Exchange Visitors
The United States uses a Web-based data base to monitor the entry, presence and exit of international students, exchange visitors and their dependents. Currently, the school which accepts you will enter the necessary data into SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, and will issue you a Form I-20 which allows you to apply for student (F-1 or M-1 visa) or exchange visitor (J-1) visa. SEVIS data is used by many government agencies which you will encounter in your journey to the United States: the U.S. embassy or consulate where you will apply for your visa, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection which will review your documents when you apply to enter the U.S. at a port of entry, and the colleges, universities and programs where you will study.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program which manages SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) are planning major improvements in SEVIS. The new database – called SEVIS II – will be implemented in two phases, the first beginning in October 2009. The planned advanced upgrades will make it easier for all users to navigate and use the system.
The new system is based on the idea that there will be one – and only one – SEVIS record for each person. If you are a student or exchange visitor, you and your dependents will each have one record for your entire relationship with the U.S. immigration system. This will be possible through the use of an Immigration Identification Number or IIN – a unique identifier component.
What does this mean for you?
If you are currently attending school in the U.S. your school will tell you when and how to create this unique identifier, sometime in the last three months of 2009. Creating this account will require you to enter personal data from your travel documents for yourself and your dependents into a web-based application. If you are a student under the age of 18 or if you require the assistance of someone to help you create the account, your parent or legal guardian may do so. Your school will review your application and make changes to correct it.
SEVIS II will also match all records that belong to the same individual. Students will be asked to validate that the records being matched do in fact, belong to them. They will also have the opportunity to identify records that belong to them that they system may not have identified as theirs.
Once SEVIS II is fully implemented in 2010, you will use your IIN to access SEVIS II – again online – to review your record, make changes to your personal information such as a change in your physical address, and ask your school to correct mistakes in your record.
If you are not a continuing student, but a new student who is planning on starting your studies in 2010 when SEVIS II is fully implemented, your process for obtaining your IIN will be slightly different. You will access the SEVIS website to create your account, which will then be made available to all the schools to which you apply.
Once they accept you, they will create a SEVIS record for you based upon the information you have entered. If you have applied to more than one school you will have to decide which school you wish to attend. Once you decide on a particular school, all of the other electronic records created by all of the other schools will be eliminated. When you apply for the appropriate visa, you will no longer have a paper Form I-20; the embassy or consulate will just check SEVIS II to verify your data. The creation of a one person-one record system based upon IINs means that SEVIS II will be paperless. Your visa will be issued to reflect the school of your choice.
What this means is that once you register in SEVIS, which is your responsibility, it will now be a “one person, one record” system. The improved system will not be complicated. In fact, it’s going to make it easier for you by saving you time, reducing data entry inconsistencies and duplications. SEVIS II will also help eliminate document fraud.
SEVP is planning many different ways to get you information about the account set-up process and your role with SEVIS II and will work with schools, programs, and the EducationUSA Advising Centers affiliated with US embassies abroad to make sure that you have all the information you need to make this transition to SEVIS II effortless.
Check the SEVP website at www.ice.gov/sevis for updates on this process, but remember that while you are an international student in the US, your international student advisor at your school is your best source for information.
How to Get a United States Visa
Applying for a Visa? Key Points to Keep in Mind
In order to apply for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, you must first have a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System)-generated document (either an I-20 or DS-2019) issued by a U.S. college or university or Department of State-designated sponsor organization. You will be required to submit this form when you apply for a visa. The U.S. academic institution or program sponsor will provide you with the appropriate SEVIS-generated form only when you have been academically admitted to the institution or accepted as a participant in an exchange program. The institution or program sponsor will also send you additional information about applying for the appropriate visa, as well as other guidance about beginning your academic program in the United States.
Once you have all the required documentation, you may apply for the visa, even if you do not intend to begin your program of study for several months. It is best to apply early for the visa to make sure that there is sufficient time for visa processing.
Planning Ahead for the Visa Process, Not Just Your Academic Admission
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that you will be able to arrive in time for the start of your educational program in the United States is to plan well in advance, not only for the academic portion of your U.S. program, but also for the visa process. This means you will need to request and receive the appropriate visa-qualifying document (either an I-20 or DS-2019) from the U.S. institution or program sponsor well in advance of your planned departure to the United States. You will also need to make an appointment for your visa interview. Please consult the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you.
Fees:
You’ll need to pay the SEVIS fee (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), pay the visa processing fee, and make an appointment for the visa interview (the procedure will differ on all of these from one U.S. Embassy/Consulate to another, so visit the website of the U.S. Embassy.
Documents:
You should also make sure you have all the documentation you will need when you go for the interview, including the visa-qualifying document (I-20 or DS-2019), financial support documents, proof of payment of the SEVIS and visa fees, and a completed visa application form. Ensure that you complete the visa application correctly by following the Department of State website procedures carefully.
There are two additional bits of information that are useful to know.
The first is that the U.S. Embassy/Consulate cannot issue a visa more than 120 days before the actual startof the program in the United States. However, visa applicants are encouraged to apply for their visa as soon as they are prepared to do so. Thus, if the college or university to which you have been admitted states on the I-20 or DS-2019 that the program will start on September 1, a visa cannot be issued before May 1.
Second, even if you have been issued a visa to enter the United States, you will not be allowed to enter the country more than 30 days before the start of your program, if you are an initial entry student. Returning students do not have this requirement. Using the earlier example, if the program of study starts on September 1, you will not be permitted to enter the United States until August 1 or later. Statistics on visa issuance rates around the world can be found here.
Where can I find more information about the visa application process in my country?
Some procedures vary from country to country, for example, how to pay the visa application processing fee and how to make an appointment for an interview. For details on applying for a Student or Exchange Visitor visa in the country in which you are located, please visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you. If you have specific questions about visas that are not answered by the embassy website, please contact the EducationUSA advising center nearest you for individual guidance.
Some EducationUSA advising centers offer workshops about the visa application process. It is important to know all you can about this extremely important element of your proposed study in the United States. EducationUSA advisers communicate frequently with U.S. consular officers and will be able to help you prepare for the visa application process and the visa interview.
How to apply for a Nonimmigrant visa
| Step 1: |
Pay your visa application fees. For details visit http://www.ustraveldocs.com/id/id-niv-paymentinfo.html |
| Step 2: |
Complete your Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic application form (DS-160) |
| Step 3: |
To schedule your interview appointment at www.ustraveldocs.com/id , you will need four piece of Information. a. Your current passport number (The passport should be valid for at least six months) b. Your fee payment receipt purchase date (Check this table http://www.ustraveldocs.com/id/id-niv-paymentinfo.html for any questions on determining payment date.) Note: If you pay your visa application fee in cash at a Standard Chartered Bank or Permata bank, you can schedule your interview appointment within 4 hours of your payment. If you pay online at Permata bank, you can schedule an appointment the following business day. c. The Unique Identification number (UID) will be given at the bank or generated during online payment. d. The ten (10) digit barcode number from your DS-160 confirmation page. |
| Step 4: |
Select the option ‘Apply now’ on the home page a. Screen 1, Enter your passport expiry date. Note: Your Passport should be valid for at least six months b. Screen 2, will display Visa fee details. Three (3) piece of information required to validate payment: 1. Passport number. 2. Date of Payment. 3. UID (unique identification number) or visa fee receipt number. c. On the same screen, you will have to ‘create a password’ so that your application is password protected. Every time you access your applicant, this password is required. d. Screen 3, please select ‘Purpose of Travel’ e. Screen 4, please enter your ‘Personal details’ Note: Please ensure that all details are correctly entered. The email and mobile number is used to send status of your application. f. Screen 5, please select the appropriate courier location from which you will pick up your passport. g. Screen 6, you will have the options to: 1. Add an application to a group. You can add maximum 10 members either from the same family or co-workers. 2. Save application & exit. You can save your application at this stage and then retrieve at a later stage to proceed to schedule appointment. 3. OR continue to schedule. h. Screen 7, will display ‘Interview appointment calendar’. i. Select your interview date and at that time, the screen will display what time slots are available. j. Screen 8, will display the appointment confirmation with Interview date and time. k. Screen 9, will display two options: 1. Download your appointment letter. You can download your appointment letter and print. The appointment letter is password protected with the password you created previously. 2. Email your appointment letter to print at a later date. l. Along with your Interview letter you will also be able to print guidance sheet that provides helpful hints for attending your interview. |
| Step 5: |
Visit the Consular Post on the date and time of your visa Interview. Please bring the following documents on the day of your interview: a. One printed copy of your appointment letter b. Your DS-160 confirmation page c. One recent photograph d. Your current and all old passports. e. Original visa fee payment receipt. |
| Step 6: |
Upon approval of the visa from the Embassy/Consulate, your passport will be dispatched to the RPX courier location selected by you during the scheduling of your appointment. Note: Please verify that you have entered the correct mobile number and email address in your application. Passport pick-up at RPX: a. If you pick up your passport personally, you will need to show your KTP to receive the passport and visa at the RPX. If you are a third country national, you will need to show a copy of your passport or your KITAS. b. A representative may pick up the passport on your behalf. The representative will need to provide the following documents: 1. A photocopy of the applicant’s KTP, passport, or KITAS; and 2. A valid KTP, passport, or KITAS (not a photocopy); and 3. An authority letter signed by the applicant, authorizing the representative to collect the passport. The authority letter should contain the following information: o The details of the applicant’s government identification; and o The full name of the representative as listed on his government identification and the identification serial number ; and o The applicant’s and the representative’s respective signatures. 4. If the applicant is a minor, at least one parent must sign the form. The authority letter will be collected by RPX as proof of delivery if you use a representative. Due to security concerns, it is recommended that you collect your passport personally. * REMEMBER: There is no same day service—the Consular Post processes the visas and when they are finished, the passports are turned over to RPX. Once handover to RPX, you will receive an SMS text notifying you that the passport is now available for collection. REMINDER: It is imperative that ALL questions are answered correctly on the online Electronic application form (DS-160). Applicants in the past have forgotten to put down their education, family and work histories- please make sure all these questions have been answered before you come in for your interview. FIXING APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY FILLED OUT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DELAYS FOR OUR OFFICE AND FOR YOU. YOU MAY BE ASKED TO RETURN THE NEXT DAY IF YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT FILLED IN CORRECTLY. |
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
U.S. Embassy/Consulate – Indonesia Visa Information and Appointment Service Information
The information is subject to change without notice. Please check the U.S. Embassy/Consulate – Indonesia Visa Information and Appointment Service website at www.ustraveldocs.com/id for latest information before your interview date.
You can also email us at support-indonesia@ustraveldocs.com or contact our help line at: 001 803 0160 330, Monday to Friday between 7:00am –7:00pm.
 |
|
 |