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Purpose and Caution

This page is intended to outline some of the types of Visas issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) of the United States. It will also outline the process(s) required of the school inviting students to the United States and the steps that must be taken by the student to obtain his/her Visa from the INS through the local American Embassy or Consul.

The reader should understand from the beginning that all immigration and visitation rules and requirements of INS must be followed without exception. The American Schools, political figures, companies, and individuals can have little or no influence on INS to make exceptions to the rules of that organization. No special treatment can be asked for any individual nor can it be expected from INS. It is best to understand all of the requirements of the Visa process and to comply strictly with those requirements to avoid delays or denial of the Visa. To do otherwise will result in a costly and time consuming experience.

Visa Types

There are several types of Visas that can possibly be used by foreign students to study at American Schools. The type of Visa depends on the type of study, the school's study program and other factors.

Schools which plan to operate an exchange program must establish with INS a "J" Visa plan. It is a plan that must be submitted by the school to INS and which requires advanced approval by INS. The J program is for educational and cultural exchange programs. Greenville Tech is in the process of applying for "J" program status. It is expected that the process to obtain approval will take from six to twelve months. The "J" Visa allows students to work in off-campus jobs during their stay in this country.

The Visa that will be used by Greenville Tech until it's "J" status is approved is the F-1 Visa.. Visit this link for a list of Documents Required for the F-1 Visa. The reader will note that one of the requirements for the F-1 Visa is an Application Form OF-156. This form may be found HERE.

Another helpful link pertaining to student visas may be found HERE. This INS link gives more information on the F-1 Visa and repeats some of the information contained in the F-1 Visa link above.

The Process to obtain the F-1 Visa

1. When a student has met Greenville Tech's qualifications and has demonstrated proficiency in the English language, he/she may request that Greenville Tech invite him/her to study on-campus.

2. Upon receiving the "Request for Invitation" from the student, Greenville Tech will complete the INS form I-20 and submit it to INS. GT will also issue a written "Invitation to Study" on-campus to the student. The student will need both of these documents when applying for his/her visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consul in their own country.

3. Traditionally INS gets in no hurry to approve I-20 forms. They take their time and are very meticulous in the approval process. It sometimes takes several months to get the I-20 form approved by INS. Unfortunately, there is little or nothing one can do to expedite this process.

4. When INS approves the I-20 form, it is returned to Greenville Tech. Greenville Tech then forwards a copy to the student along with a letter inviting the student to study at Greenville Tech. These two documents are then used by the student to obtain the F-1 Visa from the U.S. Embassy or Consul in their own country.

The student may be interested in knowing WHAT CONSULS LOOK FOR when they evaluate the qualifications of a student for a Visa. This link gives some good insight into those requirements.

Do you have a question? If you have a question, please ask it on the Discussion Forum set up for this purpose. You will find a link to the discussion forum on the Index page or you may simply click HERE. We will try to answer your questions promptly. The discussion forum will save precsious time and will also allow many people to benefit from your questions.