Entering the U.S. as an F-1 Student


We look forward to your visit to the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). The information below is intended to provide you with guidance on obtaining your initial F-1 visa stamp so that you can enter the United States for your studies at UMMS.

Your Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status) will enable you to apply for an F-1 visa stamp at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate and enter the United States in F-1 student status for your program of study at UMMS. Dependents of F-1 students (spouse and unmarried children under age 21) can enter the United States in F-2 status; each F-2 dependent must have a separate Form I-20.  In order to issue your Form I-20, information about you (and any F-2 family members) has been entered, as required by law, into SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), a government tracking program used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE).

You can schedule your entry to the U.S. up to 30 days before the reporting date listed in item 5 of your Form I-20.  If you are unable to arrive at UMMS by the program start date listed on your Form I-20, please notify the graduate school as this may affect your ability to register for classes.  In addition, the International Students and Scholars office (ISSO) may not be able to validate your SEVIS record, as required, if your arrival at UMMS is late.

STEP ONE:  Review your attached Form I-20. 
Carefully review Form I-20 and if any information is incorrect, contact the ISSO immediately.  Please 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 your dependents.  If all of the information is correct, complete item 11 “Student Certification” on page one.  Please use blue ink when completing this item.

STEP TWO:  Pay the $200 SEVIS fee. 
F-1 students in must pay this fee at least three business days before reporting to the Consulate to submit the visa application and undergo a visa interview. Canadian citizens must pay it at least three business days before applying at the port of entry for admission to the United States. F-2 dependents are not required to pay the SEVIS fee. A completed Form I-901 must accompany all SEVIS fee payments. Form I-901 may be completed and submitted on-line at http://www.FMJfee.com and the SEVIS fee may be charged to Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Print a receipt and bring it with you to the U.S. Consulate at the time of visa application. It should also be carried and shown upon arrival in the United States to immigration officials at the airport or border.

A third-party may pay the fee for you.  When submitting the payment, the third party must enter the correct SEVIS ID number (listed in the upper right corner of your Form I-20) and write your name exactly as it appears on the Form I-20 and in your passport. A reliable address must be listed for mailing of the receipt. Or, the receipt should be printed immediately from the web and sent to you.  

More information about the SEVIS fee.

  
STEP THREE:  Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain your F-1 visa. 
To make an appointment at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy, go to the U.S. Department of State’s website.  Please keep in mind that it may take a few weeks to schedule an appointment, so you should initiate your visa application as early as possible.  The F-1 is a nonimmigrant visa, and the consul who issues the visa stamp must be satisfied that you do not plan to permanently immigrate to the United States. The burden of proof will be on you to show you have a residence in your home country which you do not intend to abandon and that you qualify for the F-1 visa category.

To apply for the F-1 visa stamp, you will need to submit the following documents to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate:

  • Nonimmigrant visa application form(s):  Appropriate forms and instructions can be found on the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for your F-1 visa stamp.
  • Application fee and reciprocity fee (if applicable):  Check with the Consulate for the fee amount and how it must be paid or review the information on the U.S. Department of State website.
  • One photograph (2 inches square [51 x 51 mm], showing full face, without head covering, against a light background.  Photo specifications. 
  • Passport:  must be valid at least six months beyond the date you plan to enter the U.S.
  • Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status (Form I-20) from UMMS.
  • Proof of payment of the $200 SEVIS fee.
  • Admission letter from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMMS.
  • Documentation of financial support (typically included in admission letter)
  • Up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV).

It is also advisable that you check with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for your visa to determine whether any other documents are required and to get an estimate on the length of time that is needed for F-1 visa issuance at that location.

STEP FOUR:  Travel and Admission to the U.S.
Once you have obtained your F-1 visa stamp, you are ready to travel to the U.S.  You are allowed to enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to the start of your program, as indicated in item 5 of your Form I-20.  Please remember to contact the Graduate School and the ISSO if you will arrive after the date noted on your Form I-20.  Be sure to carry all the documents listed above with you at all times during your travel.  During your trip to or upon entry to the United States, you will complete a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record. Using a pen, print the information requested on this form, making certain to spell your name exactly as it is spelled in your passport and on your Form I-20. 

When you arrive at the airport or border, present your Form I-20 and SEVIS fee receipt along with your I-94 card, passport and F-1 visa stamp to the immigration examiner, and request to be admitted in F-1 status. The immigration examiner may ask you a few questions and then should mark your Form I-94 with the notations “F-1” and “D/S” (duration of status).

CANADIAN CITIZENS - Canadian citizens are not required to carry a Canadian passport (although it is advisable) unless they are entering the United States from outside the Western Hemisphere, and are never required to obtain a visa stamp from a consular officer. However, they are admitted in a specific visa classification and must present the Form I-20 and SEVIS fee receipt at the border or port of entry in order to be admitted in F-1 status and be given a Form I-94 with the correct notations. Canadians are typically asked to pay a $7 border-crossing fee related to the Form I-94.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT UMMS - You must report to the International Students & Scholars Office. The ISSO is required to validate your arrival in SEVIS and confirm that you have presented yourself at our office within 30 days of the start date listed in item 5 of your Form I-20.  If you do not report to the ISSO within 30 days of your start date, your SEVIS record and F-1 status will be invalidated. Typically, your appointment with the ISSO will be made prior to your arrival at UMMS.  If it is not, please contact us upon arrival to arrange a meeting.  Please see information about other steps to take upon your arrival at UMMS.


 Other Important Information for F-1 Visa Holders

Screening procedures & potential issues for all U.S. entry or re-entry visa applicants
Maintaining your F-1 status
Travel out of the United States during the Validity of Your F-1 Status 

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