Before you can make your initial entry into the US and begin your UCSF academic program, you must obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa stamp from a US embassy or consulate (note: Canadian passport holders are exempt from the visa stamp requirement however, they still must pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee).
The visa stamp (also called a "visa foil") can only be issued by a US embassy or consulate. It is not possible to apply for this stamp inside the US.
In general, we recommend applying for your visa stamp in your home country or your country of residence, especially your initial visa stamp. This is because your visa stamp may take a long time to process so it may not be feasible to wait in a different country for a long time if you do not have local friends or family. However, most embassies and consulates will accept your application for a visa stamp, regardless of whether or not you are a resident of that country.
The purpose of the visa stamp is to allow you to enter the US in a specific visa status, such as F-1 or J-1. The cost and length of your visa stamp can be found on the Department of State's Reciprocity Table for your country. Please be sure to look up your country's table before you apply for your visa to avoid any unexpected fees or visa lengths.
Once you have completed the UCSF Student Visa Application process and you have received your I-20 or DS-2019, please review the steps below to learn how to obtain your F or J student visa.
Applying for Your Visa Stamp at the US Embassy
For most nonimmigrant visa applications, the US consulates and embassies will generally require the following steps:
- Submit the DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Canadian passport holders exempt)
- Pay the nonimmigrant visa "NIV" application fee (Canadian passport holders exempt)
- Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee (REQUIRED for Canadian passport holders)
- Schedule your interview at the most convenient US consulate or embassy (view the wait times for different US embassies and consulates on the travel.state.gov website)
- Complete your interview (see below)
- Give your passport to the embassy to apply for your visa stamp upon approval of your application
Note: This is only a basic overview of the process. Different embassies and consulates may have different variations of this process. Please be sure to check the website of the embassy or consulate you will visit to learn what they recommend you do when applying for an F or J visa stamp.
Booking Your Plane Ticket to the US
Do not book you plane ticket to the US before you have consulted the embassy webpage on this topic. In most cases, embassies and consulates ask that you do not book a plane ticket to the US until you have received a visa stamp in your passport. There are a number of steps in the visa process where delays may occur, such as a long security check. Booking your plane ticket before your visa has been approved could require you to re-book your ticket which will likey cost you a lot of money.
The Visa Interview
When you visit the US embassy or consulate to complete your student visa interview, you will likely be asked to provide a set of documents. Below are the most common documents you will be asked to provide but please read all the information that you are provided when you schedule your interview to learn if any additional documents will be requested.
- Passport (valid no less than 6 months from the date you plan to enter the US)
- Form I-20
- I-901 SEVIS Fee Receipt
- UCSF Acceptance Letter
- Financial Documents (UCSF stipend letter, personal bank statements, etc. -- you should expect to show funding equal to the amount printed on your I-20)
- Visa Application Confirmation Page
- Visa Application Fee Payment Receipt
There are a number of helpful resources to assist you with the visa interview process, including learning what types of questions you may be asked. The Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States website is a particularly good site for information about the visa interview as well as a number of other student visa-related topics.
Interview Wait Times and Application Processing Times
Visa Interview Wait Times
The amount of time it takes to schedule your interview with an embassy or consulate depends on a number of variables. For example, embassies that process a high volume of visa applications may have longer wait times. Similarly, most international students get accepted to schools around the same time so this will increase visa interview wait times around Spring.
We strongly recommend that you schedule your visa interview as soon as possible after receiving your I-20 or DS-2019 and select the earliest, most convenient date for you.
If your visa interview is very close to the start date of your UCSF academic program, it could be an issue (see below). In that case, you may want to research whether or not your embassy will allow you to apply for an emergency appointment.
Another tip for obtaining a visa interview appointment sooner is to regularly check the appointment calendar. This way, if someone cancels their appointment, you may be able to book it. Also, some embassies release appointment timeslots on a rolling basis so when you check the calendar later, new appointment slots may have opened up.
Visa Application Processing Times
The most common source of stress during the visa application process is the processing time between your interview and the issuance of your visa stamp since little is known about the current processing times at a particular embassy or consulate. Generally, once you complete your visa interview, you can track the status of your visa application online.
Case Status: Refused
It is not uncommon for your case status to say "refused" at some point after your visa application. If your application status is changed to "refused" it is important to read the reason very carefully. This status typically means your application is undergoing some type of security check or "Administrative Processing".
For visa applications that are undergoing a security check or Administrative Processing, please understand that there is very little that can be done to expedite that process. The ISSO's recommendation is to wait for the process to be completed. For additional information on this topic, please see our page on Administrative Processing.
Visa Approval
Once you have received notification that your visa application has been approved, you should expect instructions on how to get the visa stamp in your passport. There may be a lag between receving notice of approval and the return of your visa stamp. Please follow the instructions from the embassy to minimize any delays.
Once you have your visa stamp in your passport, it is safe to book your plane ticket to the US and prepare to arrive in San Francisco.