US Visa
A citizen of a foreign country who wants to enter the United States generally must first obtain a US visa. The visa is a document that is placed in the traveler’s passport. A passport is a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
There are many different types of US visas. Most students coming to the US for academic studies at a university are applying for the F-1 Visa. This is also commonly referred to as a Student Visa.
F-1 Visas can be issued up to 120 days in advance of the start date of your program. The program start date will be specified on your I-20. However, you will not be allowed to enter the US on your student visa more than 30 days before the program start date.
Before starting on the steps below, please note that instructions may vary slightly by country. So please also check the website of your specific embassy or consulate in your home country.
Visa Steps
Please use the I-20 link for more information.
If you are a transfer student with an active SEVIS record, you already paid this fee and you do not need to pay it again. See below for more information for transfer students.
- The SEVIS fee is also known as the I-901 fee and payment is required for all international students on the F1 Visa
- The SEVIS fee is currently $350
- You will need information from your Form I-20 in order to pay this fee online, so you can only pay the fee after you have received an I-20 via email from our office
- Pay your SEVIS Fee here
Figure out which embassy or consulate in your home country is closest and most convenient for you: https://www.usembassy.gov/
- You can access the online DS-160 form here
- We created a OneNote Notebook with step-by-step instructions for filling out the online form
- You will upload your photo while completing the DS-160. Please review the photograph requirements
- When you are all finished, print out the confirmation page to bring to your interview
Current price is $160.
See how long the wait times are your local embassy or consulate.
- Passport
- Must be valid for at least six months beyond your program end date listed on your I-20
- DS-160 confirmation page
- Application Fee payment receipt
- Photo
- Although you will upload your photo as part of the online DS-160 application, you must bring a copy in case your uploaded photo failed to upload correctly
- I-20
- This is also referred to as your Certificate of Eligibility
- Make sure all the information on your I-20 is correct
- The form should have a digital signature from your Designated School Official
- Currently Kelsey Crain or Akane Yamaguchi
- You need to sign the form in the student section with a blue ink pen
- Academic documents
- Admission Letter
- Transcripts, diplomas, degrees, certificates, etc.
- Test scores if any were required for your admission to UWT
- Financial documents
- Bank statements showing you have at least the amount needed for living expenses and tuition
- This amount will be noted on your I-20 and you will have already needed to submit these documents in order to receive an I-20 from UWT
- These interviews are very fast! Do not be surprised if your interview only lasts two minutes or less. Be concise and honest in your answers to the officer.
- You will need to prove three main things:
- Your academic preparation
- Your financial ability
- Your intent to depart the US upon completion of your program of study
- When your interview is over the officer will tell you whether your visa application has been accepted, denied, or undergoing administrative processing
- Read more about Administrative Processing here
- If you are told that your visa is denied, ask the officer for a list of documents they would suggest you bring next time you apply. And ask what the reason for your visa denial was. They will most likely give you a reason printed on a document. Then you can contact us at ISSS and we will try to help you. Try not to be discouraged, many people are able to get their visa after reapplying! Do not argue with the embassy/consular officer or it may affect future visa appointments.
- Review What to Bring
- Remember, a visa does not automatically grant you entrance to the US
- When you arrive to the US, you will go through a Port of Entry where you will have another short interview with an official from Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- CBP will permit or deny your entrance to the US
- If you have followed all the steps above carefully, you should be easily admitted to the US!
Fill out the New Student SEVIS Record Activation Webform
Other Important Reminders
If you have been outside the US for more than five months and did not register full time while abroad, your F-1 visa will be considered invalid, even if it has not yet expired. If you are returning to resume study, you must obtain a new visa and pay the SEVIS fee.
If you plan to study abroad during your UW degree program, carefully review the entry visa requirements for the country where you will study. You might need a valid F-1 or J-1 US visa to apply for an entry visa to another country while you are a UW student. It is not possible to apply for a new F-1/J-1 visa inside the US. If your current US student visa is expired, you might need to travel outside of the US to obtain a new F-1 or J-1 visa before you can apply for a visa to another country. Allow enough time for the required visa applications when planning to study abroad. You should also consult ISSS regarding study abroad plans to see if and how they will affect your F-1 or J-1 status.
Canadian citizens do not need a visa but simply need to present their passport, I-20 (or DS-2019), SEVIS Fee Receipt, financial documentation, and proof of admission to UWT to the immigration officer at the Port of Entry
- If you are changing schools within the US and transferring your SEVIS record to UW Tacoma, there are Visa and travel policies unique to your situation. You can travel with your current F-1 visa and UW Tacoma I-20, even if the visa has your previous school's name on it, as long as the visa is not expired, and you are not outside the US for more than five months between academic programs.
- You can use your UW Tacoma "transfer pending" I-20 to enter the US, even earlier than 30 days before the I-20 start date. The 30-day rule is only for travel with "initial" I-20s, not "transfer pending" I-20s.
