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How to obtain a U.S. visa
In order to travel, you will need to obtain a passport from your
government. Once you have your passport, you need to receive a visa from
the American Embassy or Consulate in your country.
There are two kinds of visas which would allow you to come to study in
the United States: the F-1 Student Visa and the J-1 Exchange Visitor
(student) visa. If you present to the Consular Officer an I-20 form
issued to you by MIT, you will receive an F-1 visa. If you present a
DS-2019 form, you will receive a J-1 visa. Both types of visas require
you to be a full-time student whenever school is in session (September
to June).
You should not have much difficulty obtaining the visa if you present to
the Consul the I-20 or DS-2019 form and a copy of the financial
documents you submitted to MIT. Remember that if this is your first time
obtaining an F-1 or J-1 visa with this document, you must also pay the
SEVIS I-901 fee. Once you pay the fee, keep the receipt with your form
and bring it with you to the Consulate appointment. We are very careful
when we print I-20 or DS-2019 forms; however, mistakes are possible. If
a Consular Officer discovers a mistake in your form and it is too late
to request a new form, please contact us as soon as possible. We will
work with the Consular Officer so that the visa can be issued.
When you apply for the visa, you will give the Consular Officer all the
pages of your form. Upon your arrival in the US, an Immigration Officer
will review your documents and return the I-20 or DS-2019 form to you.
If the Immigration Officer finds some fault with your form, please let
us know when you check in with our office. We will advise you on how to
proceed. Please do not go to the Immigration Office in Boston without
first consulting the International Students Office.
If you applied for a J-1 visa, you should remember that depending on
your funding and on the country you are from, you may be subject to the
two-year home residency requirement. If you are subject to this
requirement, after the completion of your program of studies and
academic training (if any), you will be required to return home and
spend two years there before you can apply for an H, L, or immigrant
visa. There are other requirements pertinent to J-1 visa students. If
your family (spouse and children) will accompany you to the US, you are
required by federal regulations to purchase hospital insurance for them.
You will be asked by the ISO to sign a statement indicating that you
have complied with the insurance requirements for both you and your J-2
dependents.
If you are a Canadian citizen, you do not a visa from the American
Consul, but you must present your Certificate of Eligibility (form I-20
or DS-2019) when you enter the US.
If you plan to attend a course in English as a Second Language at
another college in the Boston area or elsewhere in the US, you will need
to obtain a separate I-20 form from that school. Make sure that the
Consul is also aware that you have already been accepted into a program
of study at MIT. With luck, you will receive a longer visa. As soon as
you complete your language program we will help you with your legal
transfer to MIT.
If you receive a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019) to pursue
a degree program at a school other than MIT, and you receive a visa to
attend that school, you are required by immigration regulations to
report to that school before transferring to MIT. You may be required to
enroll at the other school for at least one semester.
When you arrive in the US, the Immigration Officer who admits you will
give you a white card called the Arrival and Departure (I-94) form. The
number on the I-94 will be your (Immigration) Admission Number. The I-94
card is generally marked "D/S" (duration of status) by the Immigration
Officer. The “D/S” means that you will be in legal status as long as you
are a student registered full-time and pursuing the same degree
specified on your I-20 or DS-2019. Please pay attention to the
completion date that appears on your I-20 or DS-2019. If you ignore the
date and let your form expire, you will lose your legal status. If in
the future you realize that you will not be able to complete the program
by that date, you should contact the International Students Office at
least 60 days before the I-20 or DS-2019 is about to expire in order to
apply for an extension.
If you are transferring from another school in the US, inform the
International Student Advisor at your current school that you plan to
transfer to MIT. Upon arrival at MIT, please let the International
Student Advisor know that you need to process your legal transfer.
All new international students are required to check in with the MIT
International Students Office (ISO) upon arrival in Cambridge, and sign
up for an immigration orientation session. When you come to the ISO for
the session, please bring your passport, I-94 card, and your I-20 or
DS-2019 form, so that we can verify your legal status. We will also give
you clearance to receive an MIT ID card, use the MIT facilities, and
register for classes.
Information about traveling outside the US will be provided during the
immigration orientation session.
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