Nonimmigrant F-1 — Academic Student Verified 2026-04-19USA Student Visa (F-1 — Academic Student)
Full-time study visa for Indian students at US universities/colleges. Requires I-20 from SEVP-certified school + SEVIS fee + funds evidence. $185 visa fee.
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the United States visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Processing
Interview wait times vary significantly by…
Stay Duration
Duration of Status
Starting Fee
$185
Apply At
6 VFS centres
Your whole United States Student Visa,
handled for one honest price.
A strong United States file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹24,999–₹34,999 fee covers for a United States file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every United States visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1Complete DS-160 online and print the confirmation page with barcode BEFORE booking appointments. One DS-160 per person, including children.
- 2Pay MRV fee online via usvisascheduling.com. Keep the receipt number — required to schedule appointments.
- 3Book TWO appointments: (1) Visa Application Centre (VAC) for biometrics; (2) Consulate for interview. VAC must be at least 2 business days before Consulate interview.
- 4Passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond your intended US stay (unless reciprocal agreement — India has none, so 6-month rule applies).
- 5Social media declaration is MANDATORY on DS-160 for all handles used in the last 5 years. Expanded vetting applies to A-3, C-3 (domestic worker), G-5, H-1B, H-3, H-4 dependents, F, M, J, K, Q, R, S, T, U categories — set social media accounts to 'public' for these.
- 6Presidential Proclamation 10998 (effective 1 Jan 2026) suspends/limits visa issuance to nationals of 39 specified countries — Indian applicants are NOT on this list but check the current travel.state.gov notice.
- 7US visas are stamped (physical sticker) in the passport — unlike UK/Australia digital visas.
- 8Applicants with medical devices must bring a hard-copy letter from a medical professional certifying the need — otherwise entry to the Consular Section may be refused.
- 9Dress smart/professional for the interview. Arrive 15 minutes early. Bring ONLY necessary documents — no bags, no laptops, no bottled water.
- 10You can enter the US up to 30 days BEFORE your course start date listed on I-20, and must leave within 60 days AFTER course completion (unless continuing with OPT or applying for further status).
- 11Status violations (dropping below full-time enrolment, unauthorised work, etc.) trigger visa cancellation and future bans.
Who Can Apply
- Indian students admitted to SEVP-certified US institutions (universities, colleges, language schools)
- Full-time study (not short courses — use B-2 for ≤3-month non-credit courses)
- Applicants with I-20 from the US school
- Students with evidence of funds for tuition + living costs
- Applicants demonstrating genuine student intent + intent to return to India after studies
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to United States / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| B-1/B-2 Business/Tourist visa | $185 |
| F-1 / M-1 Student visa | $185 |
| J-1 Exchange Visitor | $185 |
| H/L/O/P/Q Work visas | $205 |
| R-1 Religious Worker visa | $205 |
| C/D Transit/Crewmember visa | $185 |
| I Journalist/Media | $185 |
| K-1 Fiancé(e) | $265 |
| E Treaty Trader/Investor | $315 |
All US nonimmigrant visa (MRV) fees are set in USD by the Department of State and paid online in India via usvisascheduling.com. The INR amount depends on exchange rate on payment day. Additional costs: SEVIS fee for F/M/J visas (paid to ICE separately), VFS document delivery charges, photograph, and any USCIS petition fees (for work visas — usually paid by employer). MRV fees are non-refundable regardless of interview outcome. SEVIS fee for F-1 is $350, paid separately at fmjfee.com BEFORE the visa interview.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What United States actually requires — and what it does not.
For a US B1/B2 the consulate does not want your flight or hotel bookings at all — the interview decides it.
0 of 4 are compulsory for United States
Flight reservation
Do not book flights before the interview. The consular officer will not ask for a ticket, and the decision is made in a conversation of a few minutes.
Where people slip: Buying tickets to prove intent. It proves nothing to a US officer and is the most expensive mistake in this whole category.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
No hotel booking is required for the DS-160 or the interview. Where you are staying may be asked verbally; nothing written is collected.
Where people slip: Carrying a folder of bookings to the interview. Officers rarely open documents — 214(b) turns on your answers and your ties.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Not a visa requirement. Worth having regardless: US medical costs are the highest in the world, and one hospital night can exceed the cost of the trip.
Where people slip: Assuming an Indian health policy covers you in the United States. Almost none do.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
Have a clear spoken answer to "why this trip, and when do you return". That is what the interview tests, not a printout.
Where people slip: A rehearsed itinerary that contradicts your own answers about your job, your family or your funds.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your United States file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Mandatory at Interview
6 items- Valid passport (6+ months beyond stay)Required
- DS-160 confirmation page with barcodeRequired
- Interview appointment confirmationRequired
- MRV fee receipt ($185)Required
- SEVIS fee receipt ($350)Required
Pay at fmjfee.com at least 3 business days before interview.
- Form I-20 (signed)Required
Issued by the US school after you accept admission. Sign it before the interview.
Academic Documents
6 items- Admission letter from US schoolRequired
- Academic transcripts (10th, 12th, bachelor's, etc.)Required
Certified copies with university seal.
- Degree / qualification certificatesRequired
- Test scoresRequired
GRE / GMAT / TOEFL / IELTS / SAT — whichever required by your course.
- Resume / CV
For masters/PhD applicants — helpful context.
- Research proposal / statement of purpose (if applicable)
Financial Evidence (#1 scrutiny area)
7 items- Education loan sanction letter
From SBI, HDFC, Axis, ICICI, Credila, Avanse, etc. Specify the US school name + amount + disbursement schedule.
- Bank statements (last 6 months, stamped)Required
Showing funds for at least 1st year tuition + living costs.
- Sponsor's (parent) bank statements + ITR (3 years)Required
If parent funding. Must demonstrate ability to sustain tuition + living for course duration.
- Sponsor's employment letter / business proofRequired
Income source.
- Property documents / FD / investments of sponsor
Strengthens financial profile.
- Sponsor's affidavit of support (notarised)
- Scholarship letter (if applicable)
Ties to India + Return Intent
3 items- Career plan in India post-graduation
The #1 interview question: 'What's your plan after studies?' Have a concrete India-focused answer.
- Family in India documentation
- Property/business owned by family
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
8 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Get admitted to US school + receive I-20
Apply, receive offer, accept, pay deposit. The school issues SEVIS-registered Form I-20.
- 02
Pay SEVIS fee ($350) at fmjfee.com
At least 3 business days before visa interview. Keep receipt.
- 03
Complete DS-160 online
Select F-1 category. Include your I-20 and school details.
- 04
Pay $185 MRV fee
Via usvisascheduling.com.
- 05
Schedule VAC + Consulate appointments
Peak season (May-August) has long wait times — book early.
- 06
Biometrics at VAC
Fingerprints + photo.
- 07
Consulate interview
Be ready for: Why this school? Why this course? Career plan? How will you fund it? Who is your sponsor?
- 08
Decision + visa collection
If approved: visa stamped, delivered in 3-7 days. You can enter US up to 30 days before course start date.
What works
13 levers that flip a borderline case.
- The interview is 3-5 minutes and focuses on three things: genuine student intent, financial capacity, ties to India / return plan. Prepare concise answers for each.
- Demonstrate why THIS specific school + course — specialisation, faculty, research fit. Generic answers hurt credibility.
- Parents as sponsors is standard — show their ability to fund EVERY year (not just year 1) through combined bank + income + assets + education loan.
- Education loan sanction letters from major Indian banks are strong financial evidence. Mention bank name + amount + your admission details.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1214(b) — Failure to demonstrate non-immigrant intent (weak return-to-India plan)
- 2Insufficient financial evidence — unable to fund full course duration
- 3Inconsistent career story — course choice doesn't match past academics or stated future plan
Download official forms
Each link opens the official United States page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
DS-160 — Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application
Mandatory online form for ALL US nonimmigrant visa applicants. Complete, submit, and print the confirmation page (with barcode) BEFORE booking your appointment.
US Embassy India — Official Visa Information
Official information on US visa services in India — covers all categories, updates, and notices.
USTravelDocs India — Appointment Scheduling & Fees
Where Indian applicants pay MRV fee, schedule VAC (biometrics) + Consulate (interview) appointments, and track passport return.
SEVIS Fee Payment (I-901) — for F/M/J visas
Required for student and exchange visa applicants BEFORE the visa interview. Keep the receipt.
USCIS — Petition-based Work Visa Information
For H-1B, L-1, O-1, etc — the employer files I-129 petition with USCIS first; approval notice (I-797) is required at visa interview.
VFS application centres
Visa Eligibility Check
Answer 10 questions to see your likelihood of approval. Embassies look for the same core factors across visa types — financial strength, clear purpose, genuine intent to return.
How clear is your purpose of visit?
How long is your planned stay?
Travel history to developed countries?
Any previous visa refusals?
Employment / income source?
3-month average bank balance?
Income Tax Returns history?
Travel bookings status?
Ties to India (reasons you'll return)?
Travelling with?
Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
$350 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee, paid to ICE at fmjfee.com at least 3 business days BEFORE visa interview. Non-refundable. Separate from the $185 visa fee.
Form I-20 is your school's certificate confirming you're admitted to a SEVP-certified program. Your school sends it after you accept admission. Required at visa interview and every US entry.
Limited. On-campus work up to 20 hrs/week during term, full-time during vacation. Off-campus work requires CPT (during study) or OPT (after graduation). Violating work rules = deportation.
Optional Practical Training — up to 12 months of US work after graduation in your field. STEM graduates get 36 months total. This is the main pathway from F-1 to H-1B work visa.
Yes — they apply for F-2 dependent visa. F-2 spouse cannot work. F-2 children can attend K-12 school.
Not permanent. Reapply when your situation changes — new financial evidence, clearer career plan, improved academic standing. Same-profile reapplications usually fail.
Usually 5 years multiple-entry. Status in the US is 'Duration of Status' (D/S) — valid as long as you maintain full-time enrolment.
Reviewed by Paramjit Singh, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your United States USA Student Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
5 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+What does United States want to see about my funds as a student?
That the money for tuition and living costs exists, is available to you, and came from somewhere explainable. Depending on the country that is a blocked account, a fixed deposit, a sanctioned education loan or a sponsor's income — and the sponsor's relationship to you has to be documented. The most common failure is not a small amount, it is an unexplained one: a large transfer landing shortly before the application, with no trail behind it, reads worse than a smaller balance with history.
+Do I still have to prove I will come back?
Yes, on most study routes — and it surprises people, because the whole point is a multi-year stay. The officer is asking whether the study plan is genuine and whether you intend to comply with the visa, not whether you will never emigrate lawfully later. What answers it is coherence: the course matching your academic history, the cost matching your funding, and a plan that makes sense for someone who intends to finish it.
+How long does a United States USA Student Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. United States currently states Interview wait times vary significantly by city and season — check current wait times at travel.state.gov. Visa issuance typically takes 3-7 working days after interview if approved. Administrative processing (221(g)) can add weeks to months for certain cases. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the United States visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The United States government fee (currently $185) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my United States USA Student Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (United States currently states Interview wait times vary significantly by city and season — check current wait times at travel.state.gov. Visa issuance typically takes 3-7 working days after interview if approved. Administrative processing (221(g)) can add weeks to months for certain cases.). Government and visa-centre fees ($185 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A United States USA Student Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same United States rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other United States Visa Types
USA Tourist Visa (B-2 — Tourism / Visit Family)
Non-immigrant visa for Indian citizens visiting the US for tourism, leisure, medical, or to see family/friends. Typically 10-year multiple-entry. $185.
View guideUSA Business Visa (B-1 — Business Visitor)
Non-immigrant visa for Indian professionals doing business activities in the US — meetings, conferences, negotiations, consulting. $185. Usually combined B-1/B-2.
View guideUSA Exchange Visitor Visa (J-1)
For participants in State-Department-approved exchange programs — research scholars, interns, trainees, au pairs, summer work travel, physicians. Sponsor-driven.
View guideUSA H-1B Work Visa (Speciality Occupation)
Petition-based work visa for Indian professionals with US job offers in specialty occupations requiring bachelor's+. Annual lottery, 65,000 cap + 20,000 US master's. $205.
View guideUSA L-1 Intra-Company Transfer Visa
For Indian managers/executives (L-1A) or specialised-knowledge employees (L-1B) transferring to a US branch/subsidiary of their employer. No annual cap. $205.
View guideUSA O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa
For individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or film. Petition-based, no cap. Stringent standards.
View guideUSA P Visa (Athletes, Entertainers, Artists)
For internationally recognised athletes, entertainers, artists, or performers entering the US for specific events/competitions. P-1, P-2, P-3 sub-categories.
View guideUSA Q Cultural Exchange Visa
For participants in international cultural exchange programs providing practical training + cultural sharing with the American public.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global United States website and Embassy of United States. Last verified 2026-04-19. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
Also relevant
More for United States applicants
United States visitor visa from India — documents, funds, refusals
The full filing guide, with published fees
United States visa fee calculator
Embassy fee + VFS charge + service fee in INR
US visa refused? Recovery guide
What went wrong + how to reapply
Live United States visa appointments — India 2026
Updated weekly across every Indian VAC city
United States visa from Patiala
VFS, document help, slot booking
United States visa from Jalandhar
VFS, document help, slot booking
Ready?
Want us to check your United States visa case?
Share your travel purpose, employment/business profile and funds. We'll tell you honestly where your file stands.