Visa Application Process

Once you are accepted to SCC, you must apply for a student visa.

1. To Apply for a Student Visa:
   
   1. Visit Consulate or Embassy with the following documents:
      
      1. SEVIS I-20
         
         
      2. SEVIS Fee (I-901) receipt (Instructions) (More Information)
         
         
      3. Valid Passport
         
         
      4. Financial documents and SCC Affidavit of Support
         
         
      5. SCC Admissions Acceptance Letter
         
         
   2. Complete a student visa application.
      
      
   3. Every American Embassy/Consulate works under the same set of regulations and laws, but procedures may vary. Some may require an in-person interview; while others will collect the documents and schedule a future appointment, some may conduct the entire process by mail. If the visa is approved, the student will be given an F-1 visa stamp on his/her passport.
      
      Note: The visa is a stamp on the passport that indicates where the visa was issued, the date the visa was issued, the date the visa will expire, the number of entries, the type of visa, and the visa number. An updated version of the American visa is a machine-readable paper stamp glued to a page in the passport.
      
      
   4. When the student collects the passport containing the visa he/she will also be given a sealed envelope, which contains the SEVIS I-20.
      
      
2. On the flight to the United States, the student will be given an I-94 card (which includes three sections: the instructions, the arrival record card, and the departure record card) to complete.
   
   
3. At the Port-of-Entry, the student will present to the immigration officer the following:
   
   1. Valid passport and visa.
      
      
   2. Sealed envelope with the SEVIS I-20.
      
      
   3. Completed I-94 card.
      
      
   4. Any other required information such as financial documents and/or admissions letter.
      
      
   5. Look for more details visit "What to Expect at Port-of-Entry"
      
      
4. The Immigration Officer will:
   
   1. Return the valid passport and visa with an immigration entry stamp.
      
      
   2. Return the departure record card (I-94) with an entry stamp to the student (usually stapled in the passport).
      
      
   3. The inspector at a port-of-entry will take the SEVIS Form I-20 from the student. The inspector will also stamp it in the right-hand corner with immigration entry arrival date. Then, the SEVIS I-20 will be returned to student.
      
      
   4. Return any other requested information.

Did you know?

SCC's International Student Office helps students adjust to college life in the United States.