 Visa Information
The following is general information. Visa regulations are determined by a department of the US government called U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and are subject to change. Please verify Visa information with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.
Visitor Visa
The visitor visa is a non-immigrant visa for foreign citizens desiring to enter the United States temporarily for business (B-1), or for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2).
If you are entering the United States primarily for tourism, but want to take a short course of study of less than 18 hours per week (Full-time or Semi Full-time schedule at ILSC), you may be able to do so on a visitor visa. If your course of study is more than 18 hours a week, you will need a student visa.
Student Visa
The F-1 student visa is a non-immigrant visa for foreign citizens whose primary purpose of entering the United States is to study. Students enrolling in the Full-time Intensive schedule at ILSC must obtain an F-1 student visa. Students applying for an F-1 student visa need to obtain a SEVIS* generated I-20 form from ILSC. In order to receive an I-20 form, please follow the admission instructions in ILSC Application Checklist.
ILSC cannot issue I-20’s until we have been approved by SEVIS. We expect this to occur by June 2010.
The U.S. Department of State encourages students to apply for their visa as soon as they are prepared to do so to provide ample time for visa processing. First time student visa applicants are, in most countries, required to appear for an in-person interview. However, each embassy and consulate sets its own interview policies and procedures regarding student visas. Students should consult Embassy web sites or call for specific application instructions.
*SEVIS is a system that maintains accurate and current information on non-immigrant students from the time a school issues an I-20 form for them. SEVIS enables schools to transmit mandatory information and event notifications via the internet to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State throughout a student’s stay in the United States.
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Visa Waiver Program
Foreign citizens coming to the U.S. for tourism or business for 90 days or less from qualified countries may be eligible to visit the U.S. without a visa and study less than 18 hours per week if they meet the visa waiver program requirements.
Visa Waiver Program - Participating Countries
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
For more information on US visas, visit the U.S. Department of State website.
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