How to get student visa for USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand

Below are the resources which have details and requirements of getting student visa.

US student visa	F-1 visa Working on F-1 H1-B visa Types of US visa Student visa interview questions
Canadian student visa	Canadian student visa How to apply and required documents.
UK student visa	How to get UK student visa Requirements, documents required and FAQs.
German student visa	Student visa Germany
Australian student visa	student visa Australia updates on Australian student visa
New Zealand student visa	Student visa New Zealand
Netherlands student visa	Student visa Netherlands
Singapore student visa	Student visa Singapore

Forum posts involving student visa : student visa tags

Some facts

• Not everyone gets student visa.
• Some countries have less acceptance rate of granting student visa, and it may differ on applicant's home country.
• Almost all major countries have work restrictions on a student visa.
• Almost all major destination countries need financial proof of applicant's living expenses (including tuition)
• Student visa is a temporary visa, it is expected that an applicant will return to home country after completing studies (in many cases students start working and get work permit).

F-1 Student visa - USA

F-1 visa or US student visa or study visa is granted to students (for a full-time course) and is valid generally for the period of study and permission of work outside the university is not allowed. The F visa is for academic studies (like BS, MS, MBA, PhD).

• A person can enter US (on F-1 visa) only if he has a valid F-1 visa stamped on the passport.
• A student with F-1 visa cannot work off-campus at any time during the first year of study; however, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) may grant permission to accept off-campus employment after one year (or 2 semesters during Internship).
• No permission is required for on-campus employment (which can be max. 20 hrs/week and 40 hrs/week in summer semester (if not enrolled)).
• To get a student visa you need an admission letter from University (form called SEVIS I-20). You will then take an appointment with US consulate in your country. Visa officer might check your documents/your ties with home country and if you have enough funds to live and support your education.

Requirements for US Student visa (or F-1 visa)
List of SEVIS (SEVIS stands for : Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.) approved schools 

How can I get a US student visa?

For F-1 visa applicants must be sufficiently proficient in English (this can be proved by Tests like TOEFL/IELTS/GRE/GMAT for non native English speakers) to pursue the course of study, should have admission letter (form SEVIS I-20) for a full-time course of study by an approved educational institution (as listed in above url), and be able to prove that sufficient funds are available (like loans/cash) to support living (for yourself and family (if anyone is coming with you)) and school expenses during the entire period of study in the United States (How to create funding documentation).

Visa officer also check if you have a strong reason to return back to your home country (after completing your education).

Documents required for US F-1 (Student) visa

• Form I-20A-B , Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students or Form I-20M-N, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status for Vocational Students.
• SEVIS I-20, which is provided by your University/school. I-20 form must be signed by you and school official (Graduate school/International students office).
• Online Nonimmigrant visa Electronic Application, Form DS-160.
• Passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States
• one colored photograph 2 X 2 inches square for each applicant, showing a full face, without covering head, against a light background.
• Original TOEFL scores and SAT, GRE, GMAT scores (as applicable). Students going to the United States to earn a Bachelor's degree should bring their most recent mark sheets or graduation certificates.
• Students going the United States to earn a Ph.D/MS degree should bring their original undergraduate degree and mark sheets/Transcripts.
• Spouses and minor children accompanying the student to the United States should bring marriage certificates, wedding photos, and birth certificates with them to the interview, to prove the relationship between themselves and the principal applicant.
• A MRV fee receipt to show payment of the visa application fee.
• The SEVIS I-901 fee receipt.

FAQs

• US Embassy and Consulate (in your home country) can issue visa (stamped on passport) 120 days or less, in advance of the course of study registration date. So if your registration date is Aug 23rd (for Fall session) then you can get visa after ~April 23rd. If you apply for your visa more than 120 days prior to your start date or registration date as provided on the Form I-20, the Embassy or Consulate will hold your application until it is able to issue the visa. TIP : we strongly recommend to apply in beginning depending on economic & political conditions (also try to reach your school as early as possible because on-campus jobs are generally first come first..
• Students in or outside the U.S., who have been away from classes for more than five months, will likely need a new visa to enter the U.S. TIP : be prepared to get new visa (which might require new SEVIS from your school..) especially if you are planning to do Internship outside USA.
• Always keep SEVIS documents with you.. (even if you start working for a company)
• Don't panic if you get F-1 visa for 2 years and you are enrolling for a PhD (which is 3+ years)
• Remember student visa is only valid as long as you are a full time student..for example if you get F-1 visa for 5 years that doesn't mean you can stay in USA after completing studies. After completing MS (1.5 -3 years) you might have to get a OPT or other US visa (to be in legal status)

F-1 student visa Interview Questions 

F-1 visa success rate It really depends from which country you are applying. Success rate is 80%+ for some countries in Europe, Australia, while it's low < 50% for countries like India, China. 

Visa F1

F1 Visa work permit 
Persons pursuing a full course of study at a school in the United States may be eligible for a visa for the course of their study and, in certain instances, a period for practical training in their field. 

International students who are maintaining a full time course of study can work on campus part time (max. 20 hrs per week) during the academic year and full time during the summer months and any periods when school is not in session. On campus employment assumes that the work will not interfere with your studies and that you are maintaining good academic standing. No special permission or document is needed to give you permission to work on campus. 

Training 
Training allows students to work for up to a total of twelve months in a job related to their field of study. For full details about Training you should read the practical training handout prepared by the Office of International Education and Exchange. The maximum amount of time granted to work on F-1 OPT status is 12 months per degree level plus a possible H1B cap gap extension OR a 17 month extension for those who qualify (certain Degrees like Engineering/CS etc). Practical training can be granted at the following times:

• During the student's annual vacation period and at other times when school is not in session if you are currently enrolled and intend to register for the next term while school is in session, provided that the practical training does not exceed twenty hours per week.
• after completion of course requirements (but before completion of a course of study) excluding thesis or dissertation if the student is in a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree program after graduation or last term of attendance.
• Applications for practical training are sent to the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS). It takes the INS about three months to reply to an practical training application so students should plan well in advance for this kind of work permission.
• NEVER ENTER the U.S. in any VISA STATUS OTHER THAN F-1 (for example H1B) while on your OPT (it will invalidate your OPT!)

H1-B Visa: US Work visa

The H1B visa is America's most popular and primary work visa that is required for skilled workers from overseas and all the international graduate pupils. The competition for these visas is very high amongst job seekers in the US and also there are only a limited number of these visas that are granted to people each year. The quota for H1B visa has to be increased to a certain number in order to meet the ever increasing demand by the American businesses.

So, you shouldn't miss a chance, always be prepared, begin planning and get yourself ready right away to ensure that you fetch the best of the opportunities when the sponsoring firms begin enrolling for the new release of these H1B visas. Look for and get your visa sponsorship work position secured early, and get the visa ready for filing early, to ensure you get the H1B visa in the coming or the next quota. 

The last visa quota was filled up in few months and the next quota has been expected to get filled up even faster, so this pushes recruitment for the sponsorship of H1B visa to happen much earlier this time. It means that the US firms, especially the systematically medium-large sponsoring firms, which need time needed to enroll almost thousand of various candidates, have to begin a lot earlier this particular year to ensure that they have enough time for carrying out their selection and recruitment campaigns for visa sponsorship. 

Recruitment overseas takes a good amount of time for planning, conducting and completing than recruitment done at a domestic level, thus, there are more time constraints like immigration or visa sponsorship is needed. 65,000 of H-1B visas have now reached its cap already for the year 2013. 11th of June 2012, was the final date of receipt for all the new H-1B visa specialty occupation related petitions requesting the start of an employment date in the financial year 2013. It's notable that the visa cap has been already reached mid-year in specific during the late economic crisis. All the new petitions received for H-1B s specialty occupation people that arrive post the 11th of June 2012 for seeking employment in 2013 would be rejected. The sponsorship of H1B visas is a regulated, highly competitive and a niche market. You have to plan quite in advance, and begin as early as you can and it will create the best chance for you and let you have a higher and better success rates. 

F1 Visa Questions

• Why the specified University.
• Which Universities did you apply to (both admits and rejects).
• Show me your GRE scorecard.
• Where did you Undergraduate from.
• Show me your Undergraduate degree.
• Who is sponsoring you.
• Are you married?
• What does your father do.
• What is your father's Income.
• How many brothers and sisters do you have.
• Do you have any relatives in USA.
• Why don't you do this course in your country?
• What will you do after completing MS.
• Show your Experience Certificate.
• Why Study in USA.
• Did you got Scholarships.
• Have you got any Loans.
• Show your Pass Books/Bank statements.
• What is your Undergraduate GPA/Percentage.
• Do you have any backlogs?
• Are your parents retired? How will they pay.
• Tell about your university.
• Mention some professor names.
• Tell me how can you prove that you are gonna come back.
• Where did your brother/parents completed their studies.
• What's your Religion.
• Why are you leaving your current job?
• Have you ever been to US?
• What will you do after coming back to home.
• You have so many brothers and sisters so your fathers saving is just for you? How will you finance?
• Where do your parents live (If they live in USA).
• Do you know anyone (in USA) in your University?
• Do you know anyone in US?
• What will you do if your Visa is rejected.
• Will you come back to home during summers.
• What do you think. Why University is giving Scholarship to you.?
• Where are you planning to stay in USA?
• Have you paid your semester fees?
• You don't have scholarship and you want to come back.. how will you pay your debt?

United States visa types : F1, H1B, J1, L1, B1

J1
J1 visa is for work and study related exchange programs. 

Sometimes, a J-1 program will require that the beneficiary spend at least two years outside of the US (not in Countries Like Canada or UK) before being permitted to switch to a different non-immigrant visa or to permanent residency.

This program is administered by the US information agency (USIA), a division of the Department of State

To Obtain J1 Waiver

• In some situations, a waiver may be granted if the 2-year departure would cause exceptional hardship to an applicant's family.
• If the applicant imparted some benefit to the US (in Medicine), or if he participated in the program at his own expense.
• A "no objection" waiver can be issued if an applicant's home country does not object to the applicant's decision not to return home. To apply for this, the applicant must contact his country's embassy in the US, or if he has returned home, must apply through the foreign office.
• If you can demonstrate a "well founded fear of political or religious persecution" if forced to return to your country. You may be able to obtain a "Refugee", "Asylum", or "Persecution" status.

H1B
It is a 'specialty occupation' visa for temporary employment. its duration is 3 years (initial request) and later it can be extended for another 3 additional years. There are restrictions for dependents (they may not work).
You cannot transfer H1B petition from one employer to another. The new employer must apply for a new H1B visa with the Department of Labor with copies of CV, transcripts and other documents. 

B1, B2
B1 Visitor for Business; B2 visa or visitor visa for Pleasure is available for coming to the US for business or pleasure. It can be granted from 30 days to 10 years (multiple entry with maximum of 6 months stay in each visit) Nationals of some countries may be eligible to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa. 


L-1 - Intra-company Transfer Visas 
L-1 visas are available to workers, executives, managers and specialized employees moving to their employer's US site. Spouse of L1 visa can work too. Executives and managers holding L-1 visas may be eligible for permanent residency without the need for a labor certification. 

Permanent Residency-Employment Based ("Green Card")

First Preference Persons of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Multinational Executives and Managers

Second Preference Persons Holding advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability in the Sciences, Arts or Business

Third Preference Skilled Workers and Professionals

Fourth Preference Employment Creation Investors 

http://visa.graduateshotline.com/types-of-us-visa.html#.VyE4vh2IUdQ    go to 

Get your MBA from Europe

The business schools in Europe have become increasingly popular for MBA studies, more than the U.S. and thus seem to be tempting pupils away from America, as per 2 independent reports. Also, according to latest reports, the applications filed by MBA aspirers to business schools in Europe have dramatically increased in the past 5-8 years, stating that applications for a degree in MBA to European schools has increased by almost 90% since the year 2006, to almost over 85,000. The market of MBA in Germany, Switzerland and Austria for example covers about one hundred twenty providers and one hundred fifty programs. The MBA education in the UK has almost doubled in number in the last 10 years, with more than one hundred seventy programs on offer. 

Here are 3 Reasons why pursuing MBA from Europe Is Better:

• The European business schools are overall cheaper. Although money is not the only thing that is taken under consideration for pursuing a degree in MBA, the debt one takes can significantly vary. European business schools can get cheaper, almost by $50,000-$70,000 overall to get your MBA degree, especially if one considers getting into distance learning programs.
• Some European programs today have become improbably specialized and focused. Say for example, if you wish to pursue distance learning then the Warwick Business School in UK provides an excellent online course program for a little additional than $10K for a year. In case you want flexibility, then the ESADE School located in Spain provides 12 months, 15 months, or 18 month program. There are a range of different specialties, formats and course offerings in
• The best part about pursuing an MBA from Europe is that European course programs overall tend to be generally a year shorter, though one can expect to have a slightly heavier load of the course in a European MBA program, however, if you want to get a degree quicker than anywhere, then Europe is the place to apply for an MBA course program.

MBA Admission
The procedure for admission into MBA could be a little demanding, complicated and time consuming, and hence it needs to be prepared for, carefully. Although there are various stages, an MBA program in Europe always normally requires a Graduate Record Examination also called the GRE or a Graduate Management Admission Test, also called the GMAT, as well the English Language Proficiency Test like the IELTS. Some of the best MBA Business Schools in Europe prefer having their own admission exam/test, and this is to reflect the institute's specific requirements better, however, these tests again are very similar in nature to the tests mentioned above. 

Submitting an essay is the step that comes next in this process of admission, which is aimed at depicting the prospective student's suitability for the MBA program desired. This essay needs to be directed very well towards the applied Business School, and shouldn't be a general essay, which can be utilized for filling several MBA applications. For an admission process, letters of recommendation are something, which is required and also it's an important basis for deciding between 2 applicants who have similar profiles. The interview is the last step, which is normally conducted by the admission office representatives, the business people or the alumni. 

MBA Costs
The MBA program fee varies from business school to business school and from one program to another. Starting with €10,000 for a year and reaching up to almost hundreds of 1000's Euros every year, the expense of an MBA program, on an average for each academic year here has been estimated to be roughly €50,000. With a salary increase of almost €10,000 to even more than €40,000 a year, an MBA degree can help pay off all the investment or loan easily in about a few years. Additionally, a lot of employers offer financial support/aid to their employees who do an executive MBA in exchange for serving their firm for a long term. 

Types of MBA Programs
Full Time: This can be of 1 or 2 years. It's an intense full time program with an internship period during the summers and requires time and financial investment, which leads to a better job offer by the end of the course, depending upon one's scores of course. 

Executive MBA: This is like a full time MBA's subtype and can be 1 or 2 years long. The potential applicant must have a prior work experience of at least 5 years to be eligible to take up this program. 

Part time MBA: This has on campus courses at the weekends, noon or evenings, which allows students to continue working his/her regular job, thereby reducing the security and financial challenge of a full time MBA. 

Distance learning: Here we have online courses plus exams on campus and people can pursue all the activities and learning online, without having to take a visit to the college/university. It's also popular as 'e-learning'. 

Here are some top business schools in Europe:
The Oxford Brookes University Business School in UK: This business school in UK dominates international and national rankings, and potential employers across the globe know that an Oxford Brookes graduate is always an intelligent investment. 

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in The Netherlands: It was named as Europe's 6th best MBA School by the Financial Times about 2 years back, which says it all. 

WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany: WHU provides one of Europe's best MBA executive programs, in a partnership with the popular Kellogg School of Management. The school's program, under the management course of 'Master of Science' was listed by the Financial Times as the world's 12th best program. 

London School of Business & Finance in UK: Their affinity for social trends and breaking technology allows this school to provide some of the best and innovative tools in education in the market today. They have a degree, which can be pursued online, which is delivered through Facebook entirely! 

INSEAD in France: With anchors around in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and France; INSEAD is definitely one of world's most esteemed business schools. 

Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium: They have campuses in Belgium and Russia, and it makes this one of the finest positioned business schools for getting a European business degree. It's one of the top ten business school's in the continent. 

European countries offering free education

If you want to study in Europe, your parent's income may not be the decider in the quality of education you receive. There are tuition free universities in European countries such as Norway, Sweden and Germany.

Norway

International students flock to Norway to study as they get a high quality education at little to no cost. The Norwegian government finances education with taxpayers' money so foreign students along with native students can enjoy a free ride at state universities. But the catch with studying in Norway is that living expenses can be high with NOK 8,900 (approx. 1,200 GBP) needed just for subsistence per month. This will cover room and board, clothing, healthcare, transport and miscellaneous expenses. 

In Norway, there are eight universities, twenty state university colleges and sixteen private colleges. The University of Oslo, University of Bergen, University of Stavanger, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), University of Agder (UiA) and the University of Nordland are some of the tuition free universities that this Scandinavian country boasts of. 

The Norwegian Universities and College Admission Service (NUCAS) is the coordinator of undergraduate admission. 

University of Oslo
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), or otherwise known as the Shanghai Ranking, has ranked it the 67th best university in the world. The University of Oslo has several noteworthy academics and alumni, spanning many disciplines. The university has produced five Nobel Prize winners and is institutionally connected to some of the world's most prestigious prizes. Between 1947 and 1989, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded at this university. Furthermore, it is the only university to host a Nobel Prize ceremony.

Sweden

Up until 2010, Sweden had been one of the few European nations countries that had no tuition fees. It did not matter what your nationality was as Swedish taxpayers would foot the bill. But all good things come to an end and in 2010, the Swedish parliament passed a law to charge tuition and application fees for non-EU/EEA students. At the same time, scholarship programs were offered. 

Even though there are no tuition free universities in Sweden anymore, a large number of these institutions offer full scholarships (tuition waivers, etc) for international students.

Top Tuition Free Swedish Universities

• Lund University
• Halmstad University
• Uppsala University
• Stockholm University
• Stockholm School of Economics
• Jonkoping University
• Uppsala University

This research university in Uppsala, Sweden, is actually the country's oldest having been founded in 1477. It ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe and it is quite prominent in international rankings too. 

The university became considerably recognized during the rise of the Swedish Empire at the end of the 16th century.

Germany

German universities have only recently started charging tuition fees for undergraduate study programs. Right now, just 4 out of 16 Federal states - Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg, and Lower Saxony- charge tuition fees that are as little as 500 Euros per semester. All other federal states just request a small semester contribution of around 50 Euros with no tuition fees charged. 

Tuition fees for Graduate Programs
Tuition fees are generally charged for Master's programs. Here the fees range from 650 Euros to 3,000 Euros per Semester. The estimated cost of studying and living in Germany is much less than 

Norway and other Nordic countries. On average, German students spend roughly 800 Euros for accommodation, transport, food, and other necessities. Germany's research driven programs are a top draw and they have been the inspiration for today's American graduate schools. 

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016: What's new

Wondering what it’s like to study at university? Want advice on how to survive studying abroad? Read first-hand accounts of student life and get study abroad tips with the TopUniversities Student Blog. Interested in contributing? Read about our student bloggers, and find out how to contribute.

Top Universities

The only international community for students looking to #studyabroad, for undergrad, Masters & PhDs. Join us for news, advice, student stories and more!

TopUniversities.com