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Obtaining a Student Visa

If you are currently outside the United States you should apply for an F-1 Student Visa at the United States Embassy or Consulate. U.S. Government regulations require you to attend the college which issues the I-20 which you use to enter the United States. Since you plan to attend Herkimer College, please use the I-20 that the College sends to you. If you are currently inside the United States on an F-1 Student Visa and plan to enroll at Herkimer College and do not plan to leave the United States before starting to study at our college, you will be sent an I-20 from Herkimer College that will allow you to attend our college.

As a student coming to the United States to study, you will need to apply for a visa at the United States Embassy or Consulate nearest your home. The following items will be required for your visa application:

  1. An I-20 Form and an acceptance letter provided by Herkimer College.
  2. A current, valid passport.
  3. Financial documentation for the period of time indicated on your I-20 Form, Item No. 7.
  4. Proof that your permanent residence is outside of the United States.
  5. Two passport size photographs.
  6. A non-immigrant visa application.
  7. A copy of the SEVIS receipt.

Important:

The issuance of an I-20 is created and issued to you by Herkimer College through Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a web-accessible database used by the Department of Homeland Security to collect, track and monitor information regarding exchange visitors, international students and scholars who enter the United States on F, M or J visas. SEVIS is managed by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

For initial admission, you must attend the school specified on your visa. If you have a Form I-20 A-B from more than one school, it is important to have the name of the school you intend to attend specified on your visa by presenting a Form I-20 A-B from that school to the visa issuing consular officer. Failure to attend the specified school will result in the loss of your student status and subject you to deportation. You must attend Herkimer College at least one semester before you are allowed to transfer to a different college.