Obtaining an F-1 Visa

The following information is provided to help you to arrive at Bergen Community College in appropriate immigration status with respect to the regulations of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

If You Are Outside of the U.S.

New Students
You need to obtain your I-20 from Bergen Community College by working with the International Admissions Office. Once you have received your I-20, you must visit the USCIS website: https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml to pay the SEVIS fee of $100. This is a one-time fee, for initial I-20’s such as yours. Keep the receipt from this payment, as you will need to present this to the immigration officer in your interview at the US Consulate or Embassy. You must then apply (make an appointment) at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your home country for an F-1 student entry visa. Once you have done this, when you have your interview at the consulate, you will need to bring your form I-20, your passport, your financial documents that prove the amount of money printed on your I-20 (no. 8d), and the receipt from the payment of your SEVIS fee.

At your interview, the immigration officer will want to establish three items with verbal confirmation: 1. That you are a bona fide student 2. That you can pay for your education and 3. that you plan to return to your home country once you complete your education in the U.S.

Under U.S. immigration law, "Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant status." This means that the student visa applicants must establish that they have binding ties to a residence in a foreign country, that they have no intention of abandoning that country, and that they will depart from the U.S. when they have completed their studies. The U.S. Department of State website has useful information for you to review before applying for a student visa.

Original documents are necessary for your application for an F-1 student visa. Consular standards for visa eligibility are more demanding than the standards you must meet to qualify for an I-20 from BCC. The consular officer will require you to provide the same (and possibly additional) financial documentation that you provided for the International Admissions office at Bergen Community College. You will be required to show this documentation again upon arrival in the U.S. at your port of entry.

You must complete Form DF-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form) and any supplementary forms required by the particular consulate. Check directly with the consulate at which you plan to apply for your F-1 entry visa for application procedures. Most require that applications be made in person; some consulates will permit applications by mail with interviews if needed. The length of visa validity, number of entries permitted, and application fee are based on reciprocity and generally reflect your country's policies in granting visa privileges to visiting U.S. students.

U.S. government regulations require you to attend the school which issues the visa certificate you use to enter the U.S. Since you plan to enroll at Bergen Community College, please use our Form I-20. It may be very difficult to transfer to Bergen Community College if you have entered the country using documents issued by another school unless you have attended the other school full time for at least one academic semester.

Individual procedures and the amount of time required to obtain a visa vary from country to country. The consular officer makes the final decision on your application; his or her judgment is not subject to review. If, for any reason, you encounter difficulties, please contact the Office of  International Admissions.

If You Are Already in the U.S.

Those Currently Not in F-1 Status
Students who do not plan to leave the U.S. before beginning studies at BCC (and are currently in an immigration status other than F­-1, for example B2) are required to change their status by application to USCIS. For more information on changing your status to F-1, please contact the office of International Admissions. Please note that some students on a B2 visitor visa can change to F-1 status, but those students will have restrictions with their F-1 status regarding traveling home to their home country for a visit.

Transferring Students in F-1 Status From Another Institution
F-1 students previously enrolled in another U.S. school who are planning to enroll at Bergen Community College must contact the office of International Admissions.