Visas For Education Abroad

Is a student visa required?
In many countries students are required to obtain a visa to study for a summer, semester, or year. The best resource is to consult either the embassy or consulate website to find out their requirements. If a student is going through a program that has handled student visas in the past, they may be able to provide guidance and advice on whether your student will need a visa. 

What is the process for applying for a student visa?
There is no single answer about process and it may vary from embassy to embassy, so it is best to contact each directly. Some things to keep in mind would be finding out the average time it takes to process a visa, and whether a student should apply in the jurisdiction where they go to school or through their permanent residence.

What are the requirements to obtain a student visa?
Each country will have different requirements; however, a visa application typically requires photos, a fee, proof of funds to support the student while abroad, proof of enrollment, proof of housing in country, fingerprints, or other biometrics, etc.

In some cases, students will need to show that they do not have a criminal background. Depending on the host destination requirements, a background check may be done through their local police station;  some countries specifically require an FBI background check. In those instances, if a student is applying to a country that you know requires an FBI background check, it may be wise to advise students to start that process before getting accepted to their program to speed up their visa process.

Is batch processing possible?
Batch processing is when a single institution submits visa applications on behalf of its students. If there are multiple students participating on a program, some universities or third-party providers are able to offer this service, but it is dependent on the rules of each embassy and consulate.

Does a student have to appear in person at the consulate to obtain a student visa?
For some countries a student does need to appear in person to obtain their visa. However, in others they may be able to use a visa service that acts as a stand in for the student. Some agencies you can consider using include Zierer Visa Service (www.zvs.com) or Perry Visa (perryvisa.com).

Can a non-U.S. citizen apply for a student visa through a consulate in the United States?
This will depend on both the home country of the student and the student's intended host country.  For more on this, see here.

How long does it take to get a new U.S. Passport?
The student will need their passport in hand in order to submit it to the consulate with their visa application materials. If your student does not already have a passport, they will need to apply through the U.S. Department of State. Typical processing is 10-12 weeks. 

How long does a visa for study abroad take and when should a student apply?
Visa processing can take as little as a few days for some countries to months. It is important to plan time in for visa processing, particularly for students who are applying to study abroad in the spring semester when the time between finding out they have been accepted to go and leaving is very close together.

Will consulates make exceptions and allow for emergency applications if a student is leaving sooner than the standard processing time?
In general, trying to rush an application is not advised but this will vary greatly from country to country. It is best to review the website of the consulate or embassy to see if this is a possibility.

Can a student obtain a student visa once overseas?
In many cases students are able to obtain a tourist visa prior to leaving or upon entry to the country and then change it during the course of the semester. It is important to research this in advance and know the legal ramifications of coming in under the wrong visa status.

Can a student extend his/her visa in country (for a second semester, for example)?
In certain countries it is very challenging to extend. In others it is very easy to make the change. Generally speaking this is something a student should discuss with his or her host university or program in order to determine if it is feasible.

Can a student travel after the program even if their student visa has expired?
Each country handles this differently and some countries are very strict about travel after a visa is expired. It is recommended that students do extensive research before deciding to travel with an expired visa as fines can be costly and while they may get to one country, they may end up stuck in a situation where they are unable to return to their original country of study.

If a student is having a problem obtaining his/her visa, what should s/he do?
If a student is having a problem with his/her visa, please have him/her contact the consulate directly. If the problem persists, the education abroad adviser should contact the consulate in the student's behalf to try and resolve the situation. However, if this still doesn't resolve the problem, the education abroad adviser can request assistance from NAFSA's EA Consular Affairs Subcommittee through EA Visa Help.

The following samples are designed to assist education abroad advisers as they prepare their letters of support for their students to obtain a student visa to study abroad. NAFSA’s Visa Education Subcommittee members have prepared these templates and example letters for the following countries/situations:

• Brazil
• China
• Italy
• Spain
• Switzerland
• General Exchange
• International Student Studying Abroad

Please note that the consulate to which the student applies for a visa may change its procedures at any time, therefore, students and advisers should confirm specific requirements for their visa letters (and other support documents) with each relevant consulate

All second passports are issued on a case-by-case basis by the U.S. Department of State. See the template support letters below as a supplement to the second passport application.

It is possible for individuals to apply for a second passport. Reasons for applying may include the following:

• Restrictive entry requirements of one of the countries that will be visited that makes it impossible to complete the trip using the current passport. For example, a visa or entry may be denied to the bearer of a passport showing evidence of travel to a certain other country.
• A passport needed for immediate travel may not be available because it is in the possession of a consulate or other organization for visa processing.

In these circumstances, it is possible to apply for a second passport that will have limited validity. The documents needed to request a second passport through your local passport office for immediate travel are:

• DS-11 Passport Application Forum (to be submitted with a certified copy of the primary passport) OR DS-82 Passport form (for those who already have a valid passport and can submit this passport with the application).
• 1 passport photo (taken within 6 months of application)
• Any other documents requested in form DS-11 or DS-82
• Signed and dated cover letter (must use student letter exactly as written)
• Signed and dated letter from university or sponsoring organization on letterhead justifying the need for a second passport.
• Passport fee (same cost as original passport)

These template letters can be used in support of an application for a second passport. Students should provide as much documentation as they can about why a second passport is needed pursuant to the requirements outlined by the U.S. Department of State (outlined above). The institutional letter of support allows the university to demonstrate the need for a second passport for a student by documenting any university sponsored travel the student will be participating in. It is best for the university letter of support to be written on university letterhead.

• Template letter from student
• Template letter of university support

When advising students who do not hold a U.S. passport, including F-1 students and Permanent Residents, there are several issues to take into consideration.  See here for a full resource.