Visa & Eligibility Requirements to US

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VISA & ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
OIE: International Students: Visa & Eligibility Requirements北方话 | English | 한국말 | Español | عربي
Overview
Most nonimmigrant students enter the United States with the legal status of an F-1 (student) visa and continue in that status throughout their period of study. To apply for an F-1 visa, a student needs a government document called a Certificate of Eligibility, or Form I-20, that is issued to the student by the university that the student will attend. A university must receive government permission to issue these I-20 forms.

Form I-20 & Verification
Before issuing an I-20, a university is required by law to verify that prospective students have:

Academic ability
English language proficiency
Financial support for the intended program of study.
Marquette University issues an I-20 for a prospective F-1 student after the student has been accepted for studies and has provided evidence of full financial support for the expenses of living and studying here for the proposed period of time.

F-1 Visa Application Procedures
Prospective students who are outside the United States may use the I-20 to apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Each prospective student should learn the details of the procedure by checking the Web site of the embassy or consulate where he or she will apply.

A student may also receive good advice from an adviser at an official Education U.S.A. office in his or her city or region. The locations of these offices may be found on the Web. Canadian students do not need U.S. visas stamped in their documents to enter the United States. Canadians apply for F-1 status by presenting their I-20 forms at a port of entry into the United States.

Filing Your I-20 Form
A student may receive I-20 forms from many universities, but he or she may use only one of them to apply for a student visa. The student is then required to begin the studies at the university whose I-20 was used in the application for the visa.

U.S. Based Students & Transfer Students
Prospective students who are already inside the United States with a different valid legal status may be eligible to apply for a change from that status to F-1 status by action of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. That application will also require a Form I-20.

Prospective students who are already F-1 visa students at another U.S. school may be eligible for a legal procedure to transfer their student status from their current school to Marquette University without departing from the United States and without applying directly to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Each of these prospective transfer students receives detailed instructions and assistance from the Office of International Education when the Marquette University I-20 is issued.

Home Government Requirements
The government of a prospective student’s home country may impose many kinds of regulations to control the exit of students or money from the home country. Keep in mind that:

Some governments allow students to study outside the home country only in certain fields or to study only at postgraduate levels.
Some governments may accept U.S. degrees earned only from certain universities or only in certain fields or at certain levels of study.
Some governments require student compliance with extensive procedures in order to begin and continue remittances of funds to the United States.
Each student should be sure to understand his or her own government’s regulations, if any, before completing plans to study in the United States.

RELATED MARQUETTE PROCEDURES

Admissions Procedures
Admission procedures include verification of each applicant's academic ability, English language proficiency and financial support in order to issue a Form I-20 for the student's legal arrangements to study at Marquette.

Academic Ability
Each student's academic ability is verified by an evaluation of his or her official records from previous studies. The necessary academic records are listed in the paper below entitled Required Application Materials.

English Language Proficiency
Each student's English language proficiency is verified by an evaluation of the student's achievement in a standardized test such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or by other evidence depending upon each student's situation. The kinds of evidence to demonstrate English language proficiency are explained in the paper below entitled Required Application Materials.

Financial Support
Each student's financial support is verified by the combination of an official sponsor statement and (in most situations) an advance deposit of money. The paper below entitled Sponsorship Form explains the verification requirements for different applicants.

First, each applicant provides a sponsor's statement to guarantee that the student will receive enough money promptly as it becomes needed for living and studies during the full period of time necessary to complete the Marquette degree program. Second, after being admitted for studies and before the Form I-20 is issued, students with private sponsors provide an advance deposit of money to confirm the availability of the funds that are guaranteed by the sponsor. This money is placed in the student's account at Marquette University, and the amount of this deposit is written in the student's Form I-20.

All but $400 of this verification deposit is refundable if a student decides not to enroll at Marquette. All of a student’s advance deposit, including the $200 housing deposit, if paid, is refundable in the very unusual event that the U.S. government denies the student’s visa application to study at Marquette.

Orientation
Marquette University provides a specialized orientation program for new visa students which includes explanations of their legal status and the procedures necessary to maintain their permission to be in the United States. The Office of International Education continues to provide advice and assistance through special programs, individual advising and publications to help enrolled students maintain their legal status in this country.

Resources
Required Application Materials (PDF)
Sponsorship Form (PDF)

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