Your USA Study Journey: Most Asked Questions

The main intakes are Fall intake (Aug/Sept) and Spring (Jan/Feb) whereas only few university options are available in summer intake(May)

Limited universities with limited courses are open for summer (May) intake.

Tuition fees is less compared to University

Accepts lesser IELTS/TOEFL

Accepts lesser academic percentage

Offers academic, technical and vocational degrees

Depending on the GPA student can transfer to 3rd year of Bachelors to high ranked partner Universities

Yes, it is possible with Community Colleges in Washington State.

Transfer to 3rd year of Bachelors to high ranked partner Universities.

Seattle Central College, Washington

Shoreline Community College, Washington

Green River Community College, Washington

If the student has completed the first year or second year in India, he could get transfer to US Universities with WES evaluation (Credential Evaluation) for the remaining degree of Bachelors. Student can get exempted for the subjects which matches the US Universities curriculum.

There are some Universities in US which accept students with 3 years of Bachelors degree.

The students should have passed from the Colleges and universities in India that have an “A” rating from the NAAC. (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) – www.naac.gov.in/

Some Universities also offer one year of Bridge program which is the last year of 4 years Bachelors in USA prior to getting admitted to a Masters.

WES known as World Education Services, an agency used for converting our Indian marks into US Semester credits or GPA on the scale of 4.0.

It costs $ 205 for Course by Course Evaluation.

WES is required by the students who have completed 3 years Bachelors and want to pursue Masters in U.S.

For the Student who want to apply as a Transfer student for Bachelors.

Student who have transcript encoded in other than English Language.

Some universities require it for all the courses.

Backlogs are always detrimental to admissions but US Universities accepts few backlogs. No. of acceptable backlogs varies University wise.

Varies from University to University

For Top Ranked Universities – Almost 4 to 6 weeks from the date of application.

For Partner Universities – Varies from a week to a month.

• Admission requirement varies from universities to universities. There are certain university options which do not mention GRE/GMAT/SAT/ACT as a mandatory requirement for admission purpose. This testing is recommended and sometimes mandatory for scholarship purposes.

• Yes, Bank Balance Certificate is required for release of an I-20 from US Universities.
• All students are required to demonstrate financial ability to pay for at least one year of tuition fees and living expenses before being issued an I-20 by US Universities.
• 45k is the approximate general amount.
• Fund requirement varies University to University.

• Some of the Universities ask for admission deposit for release of an I-20.
• The amount deposited is adjusted in the tuition fees payable by the student.

• Approximately INR 60,000 -70,000/month (800-900 USD in a month)

• Student can show recent funds and submit the Bank Balance Certificate for release of an I-20
• Students can also submit the Loan sanction letter.
• Students can be sponsored by their parents.

• Yes, the funds can be different for I-20 and Visa.
• At the time of application we can use recent funds but at the time of visa we recommend that the funds should be 3- 4 months old. Or In the case of recent transfer source of fund should be explainable.

• Students earn $ 8 to $ 15 per hour during on-campus job.

• After the first year in student status, an applicant may apply for employment off campus with authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under CPT only.
• Student cannot do off campus jobs anytime during the duration of student visa.

• STEM is an abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It includes all the sub disciplines within these fields and STEM graduates are in high demand across various industries.
• The main degree subject areas eligible for the STEM OPT extension include: Actuarial Sciences, Biological Sciences, Computer Science Applications, Engineering, Engineering Technologies, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences

• Students with F1 visas are generally allowed to work on the campus of their university for up to 20 hours a week and full-time during school break periods (up to 40 hours per week).

• There are two programs especially created for students who wish to gain experience in their field of study: Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT). 

• Curricular Practical Training gives international students authorization to gain employment training and to do paid internships.
• Students have the opportunity to work full-time (more than 20 hours per week) or part-time (20 hours) or less per week, earn in US dollars, and gain work experience in their area of interest.

• Students must submit Form I-765 for OPT and receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• The “processing time” taken for an OPT is about 3–4 months. This means that students should aim to submit their Form I-765 about 3–4 months before their expected OPT start date (however, the applications are not accepted more than 90 days before the program end date).

• All international students who successfully apply for OPT can work in the USA for at least 12 months.
• However, if your degree is in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) area, you can apply to extend your OPT by 24 months. This means you could enjoy working in the USA for up to 3 years

Student should be able to demonstrate

His intentions to complete the course of study he would be going for.

His financial capability to fund his expenses during his stay in US

His intentions to return to home country

F1 Student visa are generally stamped for 5 years for Associate, Bachelors, Masters or PhD.

Students are encouraged to apply for their student visa as soon as they have an I-20.

However, a student visa may be issued no more than 120 days prior to the start date mentioned on I-20.

If you receive your visa, you are not allowed to enter the U.S. more than 30 days before the start date on your I-20 or DS-2019. 

Yes a student can again stand for a visa interview but would need to pay his visa fee.

SEVIS or The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System are the web-based system of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The purpose of the system is to maintain information on the Student and Exchange Visitors (SEVP)-certified schools, F-1 and M-1 students who come to the United States to attend those schools to the country. 

On the students’ part, students are required to pay the SEVIS Fee, which is at present at USD 350.

The fee must be paid prior to the visa interview. It is wise to have at least a three-day gap in between fee payment and the visa appointment. Payment of the fee is valid in the SEVIS database for a maximum of 12 months.

If the consular officer refuses your case under Section 221(g), it means your visa application was not complete or requires further administrative action before it can be reconsidered. Processing times are different for every applicant.  When the processing is finished, the passport will be returned to you by courier. Before you contact us, please know that we cannot provide updates on your status once the processing has begun, and we cannot expedite the processing of your case.

If you now have new information, or if your overall circumstances have changed significantly, you may re-apply following the same procedures as any other applicant. Re-applying is the only way to have your application reconsidered.

Reschedule appointments through https://www.usvisascheduling.com/

Yes, the student can transfer his university. The student must report to the school by the program start date listed on his or her Form I-20.  If the student has been accepted by another SEVP-certified school with a program start date that is within 30 days of the student’s initial admission into the United States, you must transfer the student’s SEVIS record. 

No. Payment of tuition expenses in advance is good evidence that you can finance your studies in the U.S., but it is not a requirement to pay in advance and show a receipt.

Many F-1 students come to the United States with their families.

The F-2 visa is for a dependent spouse or an unmarried child who is under the age of 21 and unmarried. F-2 status enables dependents to stay in the United States during the F-1 student’s program.

Yes, dependent children of F1 visa holders are allowed to complete their elementary, middle school, and high school education in the United States.

F-2 spouses are eligible to enroll in part-time studies (degree, a vocational, or recreational) in the U.S.

Dependents may not work and are not eligible for social security numbers

In order to work in the U.S., you must change your visa status first.

Yes, F2 dependents are allowed to stay in the United States for the entire visa duration, irrespective of the presence of the F1 visa holder.

No, F2 dependents can either accompany the F1 visa holder or enter the U.S. after the F1 visa holder has already arrived.