Applying for a U.S. Visa Stamp

F-1 and J-1 international students must have a valid stamp in their passport to be eligible for entry or re-entry to the United States. There are some exceptions for travel to Canada, Mexico or an adjacent island for less than 30 days. Visa stamps are obtained at US Consulates abroad. It is not possible to get a U.S. visa stamp (not even a renewal) within the U.S. (Note that citizens of Canada do not need a visa stamp in their passports in order to enter the U.S.)

We would like to assist all international students in meeting their educational goals and we hope that all international students are successful in their visa applications at the US Consulates abroad. However, students may encounter some difficulties which could cause delays or denials of visa applications. These difficulties may include:

• Documents Required for the Visa Application
   
• Paying the SEVIS fee
   
• Non-immigrant Intent
   
• Security Clearances

Documents Required for Visa Application:

We are here to help you in whatever ways we are able. If you do plan to travel out of the U.S. and are going to need to apply for a visa, come in to the ISSO before you go to discuss the documents you need to have with you:

·         valid passport

·         valid I-20 for F-1 or DS-2019 for J-1

·         If you are an F-1 student on OPT after graduating, also bring your OPT card and job offer letter

·         SEVIS fee for NEW F-1 or J-1 status (see below for SEVIS fee info.)

·         letter of enrollment if you are a student (available from the ISSO website) http://www.isso.uncc.edu/forms.htm

·         recent financial support documents

Contact the U.S. Consulate where you will apply:

Those applying for new visas may wish to contact the U.S. Consulate in their country to determine if any additional documents may be required for visa applications and to confirm the hours of operation and length of time needed to secure the visa. It is important to note that the U.S. consulate may require a security clearance which could result in delays in obtaining your visa. We recommend that you apply for your visa as soon as possible after arriving in your home country so that you may reduce the chances that your return to the U.S. will be delayed.

Paying the SEVIS fee

Please check here (http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/faq.htm) to find out if you will be subject to the new SEVIS fee and how to pay it if you are.

Non-immigrant Intent

All applicants for an F or J visa are required to demonstrate their intent to return to their home country following the completion of their academic programs. There are several ways you can be prepared to support your intent to return home in your visa interview:

·         have a few sentences in mind that express how you intend to use your degree or research at home after your finish your program

·         bring copies of deeds to any property (land, house, apartment) that you or your family owns in your home country

·         bring bank statements of any accounts that you or your family maintain in your home country

·         if you have an employer who intends to employ you when you return home, bring a letter from that employer

Security Clearances

Field of Study: If a visa applicant's area of study is listed on the U.S. federal government’s “technology alert list”, the U.S. consulate may complete a security clearance prior to granting the visa. This process may delay your visa application by anywhere from one to three months. There is no way to know for certain ahead of time whether you will be subject to this type of clearance.  If you find that your field of study is on the list, it would be advisable to get a letter from a professor in your department which describes briefly and clearly the specific area of your research. This letter will not deter a security clearance, but it may expedite the clearance.

Country of Citizenship, Nationality or Birth:  A security clearance may also be required by the U.S. consulate if a visa applicant is born in or is a citizen or national of certain countries. The list of countries is not published, but seems to include the following:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and the territories of Gaza and West Bank.

If you have applied for a visa and you have been waiting for more than one month for the results of a security advisory opinion, please contact the ISSO to inform us of the delay.