NOTE: The information obtained from the IEP Office should not be used as the sole source of information for making decisions that may affect one's legal status in the U.S. or one's right to study, teach, conduct research, or work. Each student and exchange visitor is individually responsible for maintaining his or her visa status.

1. Obtain a passport from your home country.
2. Inform your school of your name exactly as it is written in your passport, and give the address to where you wish the visa issuance form to be sent.
3. Receive a visa issuance form DS-2019 (for J-1 visa exchange visitors) or I-20 (for F-1 visa students) from your school.
   a) DS-2019 is issued by International Education and Programs (IEP) at Cal Poly.
   b) I-20 is issued by Admissions at Cal Poly.
4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee (if you have not already done so) for this SEVIS ID number. See instructions below.
   
   

To Pay SEVIS Fee By Mail

• Get a Form I-901 “Fee Remittance for Certain F, J, and M Nonimmigrants.”

Download the form from http://www.FMJfee.com OR
Ask for the form by phone at 1-800-870-3676 (inside the US) or call the IEP office.

• Complete the Form I-901. Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20 form
• Prepare a check, international money order or foreign draft (drawn on US banks only**) made payable to “The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
• Mail the completed I-901 and payment to the address listed on Form I-901.
• A Form I-797 receipt confirmation letter should be mailed within 3 days of processing the fee. Be sure to make copies of this receipt letter, and keep it with your other important immigration documents.

Many foreign banks are able to issue checks or money orders drawn on a U.S. bank.

To Pay SEVIS Fee Online

• Find the Form I-901 at http://www.FMJfee.com
• Complete the form online and supply the necessary Visa, MasterCard or American Express information. *Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20 form.
• Print a copy of the online receipt.
• Be sure to make copies of your receipt, and keep it with your other important immigration documents

You must bring the receipt of fee payment with you to the interview. If you have lost the receipt, the Visa Officer should be able to view your payment history in his or her database.

If you are transferring schools, extending your program, applying for a dependent visa, or have paid this fee and been denied a visa within the last twelve months, you do not need to pay the SEVIS fee.

5. Contact your local U.S. Consulate or Embassy for instructions on applying for a U.S. visa. A list of Consulates and Embassies can be found at http://usembassy.state.gov/.
   
6. After you receive a Form I-20 or DS-2019 from the school that you want to attend, follow the U.S. Embassy/Consulate’s instructions to schedule an interview for your visa. It is important to apply for your visa as far in advance as possible. Many consulates recommend that appointments be made no more than 90 days from the intended date of travel, but some can make earlier arrangements for interviews.
7. Complete the following forms which can be downloaded at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html
   
   a) DS-156 Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form
   b) DS-158 Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant
   c) If a male between the ages of 16 and 45, DS-157 Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application.
   
8. Pay the visa application fee by following instructions on your local U.S. embassy or consulate’s web site.

9. Prepare and bring to your visa interview the following:

• A passport valid for at least six months
• Form I-20 or DS-2019 signed by you
• School admission letter
• Completed visa applications (DS-156, DS-158, and, if applicable, DS-157)
• Two 2”x 2” photographs in the prescribed format
• A receipt for the visa application fee
• A receipt for the SEVIS fee. If you have not received an official receipt in the mail showing payment and you paid the fee electronically, the consulate will accept the temporary receipt you printed from your computer. If you do not have a receipt, the consulate may be able to see your payment electronically if your fee payment was processed at least 3 business days before your interview.
• Financial evidence that shows you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period you intend to study.
• Any information that proves that you will return to your home country after finishing your studies in the U.S. This may include proof of property, family, or other ties to your community. Have an outlined plan for what you intend to do upon your return home.

10. Remain calm and answer all the Visa Officer’s questions openly and honestly.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Andre at 805-756-5837 or bandre@calpoly.edu.

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