Applicants who wish to study in the United States must go through the process of obtaining an I-20 form to apply for an F-1 student visa.
The I-20, issued by a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, http://www.ice.gov/sevis/index.htm) approved school, is needed to assist in the process of applying for F-1 student status. The I-20 form is a three-page government document containing demographic and program information required by the USCIS (United States Citizenship & Information Services, http://uscis.gov/graphics/) and must be signed by both the issuing DSO (Designated School Official) and the student.
The completed I-20 will include all the information the U.S. government needs about your term of study, including your level, field, and length of study, the dates you are expected to report on campus, and your ability to pay for your education. You will also be issued a SEVIS ID number with your I-20. The I-20 form must be with you at all times during your stay in the United States.
Before the I-20 can be issued to the prospective student, the student is required to submit a completed application for Admission of International Students that includes academic criteria, financial documentation, application fees and transfer verification (when applicable). To complete, you will be asked to provide the following documents:
·A valid passport
·A valid I-94 Card (if you are currently in the United States)
·Notarized Affidavit of Support (document indicating that you have sufficient financial resources available to pay your school and living expenses for the duration of your studies)
·Official translated transcripts and high school diploma
·Passing TOEFL scores (Minimum score of 500 on paper-based exam or 173 on computer-based exam)
·Passed college entrance exams
·Required non-refundable $100 registration fee upon admission to the college
·Required non-refundable I-901 SEVIS fee
Valid Passport
Before you can be issued an I-20, you must have a current passport from your home country. Be aware that it is your responsibility to make sure your passport stays valid throughout your stay in the United States. If your visa is due to expire during your stay in the States, you can contact your Embassy/Consulate within the U.S. to apply for an extension or renew it.
I-94 Card
The I-94 is a small, white card given to you upon arrival on which the visa classification and the expiration date of your authorized stay is written when you enter the U.S. The USCIS inspector writes either a date of expiration or D/S (Duration of Status). If you have D/S, you may remain in the U.S. as long as you are in school.
Your I-94 card must remain in your possession at all times.
Notarized Affidavit of Support
Fill out the Financial Certificate Form and the Affidavit of Sponsorship Form (if necessary). There is no deadline for submitting financial certification forms to the DSO, however the lack of your financial support documents will prevent the issuance of the I-20, ultimately delaying the process of obtaining a visa.
While your financial documents do not have to be submitted in U.S. dollars, it is helpful that any document you submit in foreign currency contains the U.S. dollar equivalency. Financial documents must be submitted in English or have an English translation attached.
All financial documentation must be submitted in their original notarized form with a notary seal affixed to the sponsors’ signature for it to be accepted by the ISA (International Student Advisor). A notary seal is an official stamp certifying that the person signing the form is the sponsor. Lawyers, bankers, police officers and other government officials typically have the authority to make such certifications. In some countries, such as China, officials may not stamp or seal the Financial Certification Form because it is written in English. It is acceptable in such instances to send an appropriate form from your home country with the appropriate seals instead of the Financial Certification Form. All original documents will be sent back to you with the original I-20 form so you can apply for an F-1 student visa.
All students must have the financial resources required to cover tuition and living expenses in the United States for two years, the entire length of time needed to complete a degree. Dependent students rely on support from a sponsor (family or friend) and they must provide NBC with documentation proving that their sponsor is able to provide a minimum of $23,000-25,000 in financial support. Independent students using personal funds (money that appears on any documents in their name) must provide a bank statement indicating that they have a minimum of $30,000-32,000 available to finance their education as well as additional living expenses. These figures are estimates of how much it costs to complete an Associate in Applied Science Degree in two years when attending classes at NBC full-time. The amount of tuition may vary from student to student depending on their choice of major, and other expenses will be determined by whether or not they are dependent or if they have any dependents.
Official Translated High School Transcripts and Diploma
An official copy of the student’s transcripts from their foreign country is needed. If this copy is in a foreign language, it is the student’s responsibility to get their transcripts translated into English and then we will need an official certified copy of that translation. In the end, we will need 2 high school transcripts for the student’s file, one in their native language and one that’s been translated. If the student has attended college in their home country, the same protocol would apply.
Some evaluation and translation services are listed below
Educational Perspectives NFP
P.O. Box 618056
Chicago, IL 60661-8056
Phone: 312-421-9300
Fax: 312-421-9353
Email: info@educational-perspectives.org
Website: http://www.educational-perspectives.org/
World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: 212-966-6311
Fax: 212-739-6100
Email: info@wes.org
Website: http://www.wes.org/
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
Phone: 414-289-3400
Fax: 414-289-3411
Email: eval@ece.org
Website: http://www.ece.org/
The F-1 Visa
· With a valid passport, proof of financial support attached to the signed I-20 form, and the I-901 payment receipt, you can now apply for an F-1 visa at the nearest U.S. Consulate. This visa allows you to legally stay in the United States while maintaining a full-time course load.
Changing your status to become a student in the U.S.
· If you are already in the U.S. on another nonimmigrant visa and you would like to change your status to a student status, you must first submit an application to Northwestern Business College.
· If you are accepted, you must submit a valid passport, proof of financial support attached to the signed I-20, the I-901 payment receipt, and an USCIS Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) to the USCIS. There is a fee that must be submitted to the USCIS along with the I-539 form. Please see your DSO for further details concerning fee payment.
Bringing a Spouse and Children to the U.S.
· Your spouse and children may come with you to the United States as dependents, therefore their status would be F-2 status. They should go with you to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate when you apply for your student (F-1) visa. They should be prepared to prove their relationship to you. If your spouse or children are planning to join you at a later date, they should provide the U.S. Embassy staff with a copy of your USCIS Form I-20 ID (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status - for Academic and Language Students) and proof of their relationship to you. The F-2 status of your family will be dependent upon your status as the F-1 academic student. This means that if you change your status, your family must change their status. If you fall out of status, your family will fall out of status as well.
· Your family members must meet all visa eligibility requirements, including evidence that they will have sufficient funds for their support, and that they will depart the U.S. when your program ends. The spouse and children of students may not accept employment at any time.
· You need to show that you have the financial resources to provide an additional $5,000 per year for the spouse and an additional $3,000 per year for each child. This is in addition to what you need to show to meet your own living and educational expenses. You must inform the DSO of all your dependents, their names, dates of birth, city and country of birth and country of citizenship for each dependent.
How Long Can I Stay in the U.S.?
· You are allowed to stay in the United States for as long as you are enrolled as a full-time student in an educational program and making normal progress toward completing your course of study. If approved, you also will be allowed to stay in the country up to twelve additional months beyond the completion of your studies to pursue practical training. At the end of your studies or practical training, you will be given a 60-day grace period to prepare to leave the country. See the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 8, Section 214.2 (f)) for more complete time limits. Also see your DSO about practical training as you are approaching your final quarters.
Extending My Stay as a Student in the U.S.
· You do not need to apply to extend your stay in the United States as long as you are maintaining your student status and making normal progress toward completing your academic course of study. Under normal circumstances, you should be able to complete your studies by the completion date given on your USCIS Form I-20.
· If you need to extend your stay longer than the date listed on your I-20, you should contact your DSO or the USCIS in advance for specific instructions. Generally, you will complete Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) and send it, along with your original I-20 to the USCIS before your authorized stay in the country expires (the USCIS recommends at least 45 days in advance). You may include your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 in your application if you are all in the same nonimmigrant category.
Does FERPA Protect the Privacy of International Students?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, otherwise known as “FERPA” protects the privacy of all students studying at institutions to which funds have been made available under any program administered by the Department of Education, including funds provided to the school or agency by grant, agreement, or contract, and funds provided to students through government student loan and grant programs. This protection extends to student records maintained by “educational agencies” that provide administrative control or direction of, or perform service functions for, covered elementary or secondary schools or postsecondary institutions.
The FERPA statute itself does not distinguish between students based on their immigration status. The basic protection of FERPA is that “personally identifiable information” from student educational records” cannot be released to any third party without the consent of the student.
For more information regarding FERPA please refer to your student handbook under general information and procedures.
Government processing can be a lengthy procedure, please allow ample time for your application to be processed.
