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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. More information can be reviewed at https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/ 

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.