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Visas and Travel

New international students (four-year degree-seeking and exchange students )

Study in the States Website

The primary website where the US government posts information for international students is called Study in the States. Please visit this website to educate yourself about the visa application process and what you must do once you are inside the United States to maintain valid F-1 Degree-seeking Student immigration status or J-1 Exchange Student immigration status. It is your responsibility to learn about the requirements to apply for a visa and actively maintain the immigration category for your academic program in the United States. Our ISS staff will help you understand your immigration requirements and provide important support throughout your four years at DePauw. 

Pay your SEVIS I-901 Fee

All new students are required to pay a SEVIS I-901 fee before scheduling a visa interview at a US Consulate or Embassy in their home country.  Several payment options are available. The most convenient one is to pay online by using a credit card. 

Tutorial video on how to pay SEVIS I-901 Fee

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website where you can pay SEVIS I-901 fee

When entering the US, you will be required to present the payment receipt for the SEVIS I-901 fee to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official, in addition to your passport and I-20 Certificate of Eligibility (for F-1 Degree-seeking Students) or DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility (for exchange students).  Therefore, make sure that you carry these three documents with you. Do not pack these documents in your checked luggage.

How to apply for your first student visa

After receiving your I-20 or DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility, read through the entire document carefully, and then sign and date on Page 1.  By signing your immigration document, you agree to comply with all the terms and conditions listed there.  Once you have paid the SEVIS fee, make an appointment for a visa interview as soon as possible at the US Embassy or Consulate nearest to you.  Visa processing times vary widely depending on the embassy or consulate, so please visit the US Department of State website to learn about the application process at your US Consulate or Embassy.  Begin preparation of the required materials as early as possible in order to ensure a timely arrival to campus in August.

You will need to take the following documents to your visa interview. Each US Embassy or Consulate may require that you provide additional documents, so check your US Embassy’s or Consulate’s website to confirm exactly which documents it will require.  Usually, the following documents are required to apply for a student visa:

  1. I-20 or DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility student immigration document

  2. Passport valid for at least six months from the day of your interview

  3. Financial documentation

  4. Letter of admission from DePauw University

  5. SEVIS I-901 fee receipt

When the visa is granted, it is stamped onto the passport.

Arrival to the United States

Students can arrive to the United States up to 30 days before their academic program begins. The academic program start date is listed on the I-20 or DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility immigration document. When you arrive to your “port of entry” (the first airport you reach during your travel to the United States), you must present the following documents to the immigration officer:

  1. A valid passport with a valid student visa

  2. I-20 Certificate of Eligibility (four-year degree students) or DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility (exchange students)

  3. SEVIS I-901 fee receipt

  4. Recent bank statement demonstrating family's ability to pay educational expenses

  5. DePauw admission letter

After examining these documents, the immigration officer should enter all relevant data into the SEVIS system and return your documents to you. Be sure to keep all of this documentation in a safe place—it is your responsibility to have all required, original immigration documents in your possession, as well as to maintain photocopies of important and old immigration records. Be sure that you have contact information for ISS staff with you during your travel, and call us if you experience problems or delays.

Returning to Depauw after a Leave of absence, medical withdrawal or suspension

Students who withdraw for personal reasons (medical needs, family crisis, gap year, etc.) and students hoping to return after a period of suspension should follow the following steps to be readmitted to DePauw and renew the F-1 student visa: 

  1. Apply for readmission to DePauw. Instructions are posted on the Registrar's website here.
  2. Once approved for readmission, email Financial Aid (financialaid@depauw.edu) to request a letter verifying your financial aid package. You will need this to be issued a new I-20 Certificate of Eligibility from International Student Services and to document the amount of funding that your family will need to document during your visa application process.
  3. Send an email to International Student Services at iss@depauw.edu to request a new I-20 Certificate of Eligibility. Be sure to include a copy of your readmission notification, verification of financial aid letter, and bank statement(s) from your family demonstrating that you have sufficient funds to pay for the cost of one academic year's educational expenses.
  4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee, and apply for a new F-1 student visa at the US Embassy or Consulate nearest to you.