Applying for a Visa

In order to obtain a valid student visa stamp in your passport you need to present the correct documents to the U.S. Embassy. You should have received an I-20 or DS-2019 from UT. This document identifies you and the school you will be attending. The I-20 is used to obtain an F-1 visa, while the DS-2019 is used to obtain a J-1 visa. Most students will use the F visa. Students with special funding or who are engaged in an exchange program will sometimes use the J visa. We will explain in detail the differences between the categories during the orientation.

Take the I-20 or DS-2019 and financial documents proving your source of funding such as bank statements, scholarship letters, and assistantship letters to apply for your visa. Contact the U.S. Embassy in your home country to clarify if any other documents are required. These may include such items as a birth certificate or national identity card. The website of th U.S. Department of State maintains a list of most of the U.S. Embassies and consulates worldwide.These websites provide detailed application procedures.

At the port of entry into the U.S. simply present the full I-20 or DS-2019 and your passport. Occasionally the Immigration officer will ask to see financial documents so carry those with you as well. As an F-1 student, the officer will stamp page 1 of either your I-20 or your DS-2019 with a red ink stamp. He/she will also stamp the arrival and departure card you filled out on the plane, called the I-94. The officer will keep the top part and give you the bottom part. He/She will usually staple this small white card to your passport.

Note: If you arrive through Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St Louis, or Charlotte international airports via US Airways and TWA from Munich, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome, or Paris, you should have been given an electronic I-94 (that looks like a boarding pass). You must keep this!