F-1/J-1 Visa Application

Complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form. You will need your SEVIS ID (number starting with “N” located at the top of your I-20/DS-2019) to complete this. In addition, J-1 students will need to provide UCSD’s J-1 Program Number. This number is: P-1-02849.

When asked for UC San Diego’s contact information for the DS-160, you may put down the following:

• Contact name: Name of the advisor listed on your I-20/DS-2019 document
• Contact phone: 858-534-3730
• Contact address: 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093
• Contact email: istudents@ucsd.edu

New Students: The earliest that an F-1 or J-1 visa can be granted is 365 days before the program start date listed on your SEVIS Form. You may apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa earlier than 365 days before the start date to allow for visa processing and security clearance delays, however, the consulate cannot actually issue the visa until 365 days before the program start date.

Consult the website for the U.S. embassy or consulate that you will visit before your visa appointment. Go to the Nonimmigrant Visa section and follow the instructions. Many people are denied visas when they are unprepared.

Document Requirements for all F and J Visa Interviews:

• Passport which is valid up to six months after date of entry into the U.S.
• Form I-20 (F-1 students) or DS-2019 (J-1 students) with a valid travel signature or copy of your I-797 approval notice
• Evidence of financial support: Bank statement or financial support letter from sponsor or UC San Diego academic department
• Home country address and documentation of home ties (if available)
• Any additional documents required by the specific U.S. embassy or consulate where you are applying for your visa

Additional Requirements:

• F-1 and J-1 Continuing Students:
  • Official UC San Diego Transcript that you can order on TritonLink
  • Graduate students: letter from your academic department verifying program start date, good standing, expected program completion, and brief description of the nature of your research
• F-1 Alumni on F-1 OPT:
  • F-1 OPT Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card
  • Job offer letter or proof of employment (if employed)
• J-1 Alumni on J-1 AT:
  • J-1 Academic Training Authorization Letter
  • Job offer letter or proof of employment (if employed)

Based on information received from various consular officers, the following are recommendations to prepare for your visa interview:

• Listen carefully to what the consular officer asks you and then answer the question directly.
• Be prepared to show strong ties to your home country with official documentation. Ties to your country are ties that compel you to leave the U.S. after you finish your program of study.
• If your family owns a property, take the deeds of papers showing your ownership.
• If you and your family have had numerous past visits to the U.S., take along passports, even old ones - to show that you have many visas and many visits, but after every visit to U.S. you still returned to your home country.
• If you have membership in a professional organization in your home country, bring proof of this membership.
• If you have the prospect of a job offer, get a letter from the company saying that you will be considered for the job upon your return, or that people with the kind of education you are seeking are needed.
• Answer every question truthfully.

Some factors that might work against you in the mind of the consular officer are:

• Someone in the U.S. is promising to support you
• Lack of family ties
• Poor job prospect upon return
• Poor English language ability
• Poor academic record (suggesting that you are not a serious student)

Read more interview tips:

• 10 Points to Remember When Applying for Your Non-Immigrant Visa

Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not require visas to enter the U.S., although they must present a valid Form I-20  (F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (J-1 students) to enter the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 student status. ISEO recommends students also have their I-901 fee receipt and proof of funding at the time of admission to the U.S.

See the Information for Citizens of Canada and Bermuda page on the U.S. Department of State website.

Additional resources for Canadian visitors to the United States can be found on the U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites in Canada.

International students are strongly encouraged to apply for a visa in their home country because they may have difficulty getting a visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate in a country other than their own.

In general, the following individuals are eligible to apply for a visa renewal as Third Country Nationals (TCN):

• Applicants seeking to renew their C, D, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P and R visas, provided the initial visa was issued in the applicant's home country or at one of the border posts in the past few years.
• Applicants for visas that reflect a change of status (e.g., F-1 to H-1B or F-1 to J-1), provided the applicant originally entered the U.S. in other than B status and possesses an original change of status notice (I-797) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• Applicants possessing B visas issued in their home country with annotations showing intent to change visa status, such as "Prospective Student."

The following individuals are strongly discouraged from applying for a visa renewal as Third Country Nationals because there may be a high risk of denial:

• Applicants who entered the U.S. with a B visa issued in their home country that changed status to another visa category, e.g., F, J, H-1B, but the visa did not have an annotation indicating intent to change status.
• Applicants who have been out of status in the U.S. having violated the terms of their visas or having overstayed the validity indicated on their I-94s. A, B, E, G and Q visa applications, including renewals are not accepted from Third Country Nationals that are not residents in the appropriate consular district.
• Citizens of Iran, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, North Korea, Cuba and Syria.

Visa Renewal in Canada:

International students who are not citizens of Canada, but who wish to apply for visas in Canada, should meet with an ISEO Advisor to discuss their plans. Students subject to special security clearances are not eligible for reentry into the U.S. until this process is complete. Please consider the delays that security checks may cause and plan accordingly.

The U.S. consular posts in Canada announced new appointment procedures, which took effect as of September 1, 2010, for applicants applying for nonimmigrant visas.

An applicant will need the following prior to scheduling a visa appointment:

• The passport number of each applicant
• Proof that the visa application fee (MRV) has been paid for each applicant
• A completed Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) Electronic Application, DS-160 including confirmation (barcode) number for each applicant
• Additional information may be required based on the type of visa for which the applicant is applying. For example, if you are applying for an F-1 or J-1 visa, you may be asked for your SEVIS ID number from your I-20 or DS-2019

Another significant change at most of the U.S. consular posts in Canada is that passports with visas will be returned to the applicant via courier. The courier service is provided through DHL, at no additional cost to the applicant.

For more information, visit U.S. Visa Service: Canada.

Visa renewals in Mexico:

International students who are not citizens of Mexico, but who wish to apply for visas in Mexico, should meet with an ISEO Advisor to discuss their plans. Students subject to special security clearances are not eligible for reentry into the U.S. until this process is complete. Please consider the delays that security checks may cause and plan accordingly.

All U.S. consulates in Mexico do not accept TCN applications for changes of status, only for renewals for expired visas in the same status you entered the U.S. in.

For example, if your F-1 visa stamp has expired and you would like to apply for a new F-1 visa stamp, you may be eligible to apply in Mexico. However, if you entered the U.S. in J-1 status then changed to F-1 status, you may not apply for an F-1 visa in Mexico.

For more information, visit Mexican Embassy: Non-Immigrant Visas.

To travel outside the U.S. to a country other than your home country, remember that a new set of laws will be in effect, and you may need a visa to enter that country. To learn more about visa requirements, contact that country's closest embassy or consulate in the U.S. or visit their website.

You can search for information about foreign countries' embassies and consulates in the U.S. on the U.S. Department of State website.

ISEO cannot advise on other countries' entry-visa requirements.