Visa Information
A visa is a stamp in your passport that indicates you are qualified to
apply for admission into the U.S. as an F-1 Student.
Apply for the visa in your home country, unless circumstances or travel
plans make it impossible. The U.S. consulates require in-person interviews for
most visa applicants. The
U.S. Department of State maintains an excellent
website on the visa application process, and should be studied carefully. You
can also find information about how long it will take to get your visa.
Students applying for initial-entry visas may apply for a visa a maximum of
120 days before the academic program start date.
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Apply to Cascadia Community College
(CCC). If you are
accepted you will receive an I-20 along with an admissions letter
and other information. Review your I-20 for accuracy. Contact CCC immediately if something is not
correct.
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Place the I-20, the letter of admission, and other material you have from CCC
in a folder or large envelope with an original bank statement, and a copy of
your educational records (from high school or college). It is good to keep
all of these items together so that you can easily submit any material that is
requested by the embassy or consulate.
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Pay your “SEVIS Fee” (US$100)
and print the receipt.
You can pay for this online at:
www.fmjfee.com.
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Visit the website of the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate in your home
country at http://usembassy.state.gov/. Learn about the location, hours, and visa application
procedure. You will be required to complete additional forms and
perhaps pay a visa fee. Be sure you review the website thoroughly for
this information. The embassy or consulate will schedule a visa interview for
you. You can see the visa wait times at this website:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php.
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Prepare for your visa interview before you go!
Ensure you have all necessary paper work and documentation. Also, you should be able to
truthfully answer the following questions in English. Your visa interview may only
be 2-3 minutes so your answers need to be brief.
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Why did you choose to study at Cascadia Community College?
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What are you going to study at Cascadia Community College?
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What are your academic and career plans?
Where do you plan on continuing your studies once you complete your program
at Cascadia? Where do you want to transfer?
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Describe the family and community ties that you have in your home
country and your plan to return home once you complete your studies in the
USA.
Important note: If you indicate plans for employment in the US during your visa
interview, you may be denied a visa. You are applying for a STUDENT visa.
If you prefer to work, please seek sponsorship for a work visa with a business.
When steps 1-5 are complete, go to the American Embassy
nearest you to apply for a student visa. Required documents depend on the country, so
check with the embassy nearest you for required documents. We recommend
you visit the embassy's website. You will most likely be asked to bring your passport, bank statement, letter of
admission, your I-20 form, and other documents. During the interview, the officer will
determine your eligibility for a student visa.
If you get a visa, please contact the
International Programs Office at Cascadia at
international@cascadia.edu
to give us your expected arrival date and time.
If you are denied a student visa please
contact us immediately; we may be able to give you additional information
that will help you re-apply for a visa. Please let us know exactly what you were
told by the US embassy or consular officer. You may ask for this in
writing as well. Additionally, if you choose to try to interview again, we
may need to change the start date on your I-20 and re-issue one to you.
If you are studying and in the United States your visa may
expire. You do not need to apply for a new visa if you remain in the US,
and your passport and I-20 remain valid. If you depart the US and have an
expired visa, you will need to obtain a new F-1 visa to re-enter the US.
The Department
of State website states that "You may stay as long as you are a full time
student, even if the F-1 visa in your passport expires while you are in
America."
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Last updated on: 6/20/2006
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