| 1) What is the procedures for applying for an F-1 Student Visa? A) In order to apply for an F-1 student visa, you must first have a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System)-generated I-20 form issued by a U.S. college or university you have decided to attend. The U.S. academic institution will provide you with the I-20 form only when you have been academically admitted to the institution and have been able to provide evidence of your ability to financially support yourself while a student.Once you have all the required documentation, you may apply for the visa, even if you do not intend to begin your program of study for several months. You will need to make an appointment for your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in India that is closest to your home; you can do this up to 120 days before the start date listed on your I-20 form. It is best to apply early for the visa to make sure that there is sufficient time for processing. Among the things you'll need to do before the interview is 1) Pay the SEVIS Fee, which can be done online or by mail and is currently USD $100; 2) Pay the visa processing fee (the procedure will differ from one U.S. Embassy/Consulate to another, so visit the website of the U.S. Embassy in your country. You should also make sure you have all the documentation you will need when you go for the interview, including the I-20 form, official financial support documents, proof of payment of the SEVIS and visa fees, and completed visa application form(s). Ensure that you complete the visa application correctly by following the website procedures carefully. | |
| 2) What are the financial requirements for obtaining an F-1 Student visa? A) You must demonstrate that you have adequate financial support for at least one academic year, including the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses. Your college or university will tell you the amount that is required. When you go for visa interview, in addition to the I-20 and other forms, you will need to show evidence of support which may include an official letter from the school with a scholarship offer, an official approved loan statement, or official bank statements showing the funds available. Also acceptable is an original letter from a sponsor (such as a parent or employer) that shows the amount of the support. Anticipated earnings from employment during school may not be used as evidence. | |
| 3) Can I work while on an F-1 Student visa? A) Yes, you may work on-campus on F-1 visa, provided it is part-time and less than 20 hours a week during the academic year. (During the summer and vacation periods, you are able to work up to 40 hours a week, or full-time.) However, you may not work off-campus legally without approval from your international student advisor or during the first academic year. | |
| 4) What is CPT? A)Curricular Practical Training or CPT is an optional employment opportunity available to F-1 students where the training is considered to be an integral part of the curriculum or academic program. According to the immigration regulations, this employment may be an internship, cooperative education job, a practicum, or any other work experience that is either required for your degree or for which academic credit is awarded. In order to begin working on the CPT program, you must get permission from the international student advisor on your campus and often from your academic advisor as well. During the academic year, you are restricted to 20 hours a week or fewer, and during the summer and vacation periods, you can work up to 40 hours a week. | |
| 5) Iam going to the US on an F-1 visa to study. I have been granted a scholarship by the university. I have learned that the scholarship will not cover all of my expenses. Can I work in the U.S. to supplement the scholarship? A)Yes, you can work but only on campus during the first year of study, and only for 20 hours a week or fewer. After your first year of study, you can apply for authorization to work off campus through the Curricular Practical Training or CPT program. (See above.) | |
| 6) I am a student in the U.S. and I lost my passport with my student visa stamp. What should I do? A)Unfortunately you will have to apply for a new passport and visa. Passports, visas, and arrival-departure records (Form I-94; the white card that is stapled to your passport) are official travel documents that all non-U.S. citizens must have in their possession to show their country of citizenship and legal status in the U.S. We encourage students to make a copy of their passport biographic page, their U.S. visa and their Form I-94 as soon as possible after their arrival in the U.S. and put it in a safe place. Often the International Office at your college or university will also keep a copy on file for you. There are a number of steps you need to take, as follows: --Get a Police Report Go to a local police station and report your document(s) lost. If available, you will need to provide copies of the original documents. You will be issued a police report detailing the incident. Don't forget to make an extra copy of the report for your own records. --Request Replacement of your Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) You will need to apply for a replacement I-94 before you depart the U.S. You can find the application at this website: Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document. --Report your lost Passport to Your Embassy and apply for a new passport Contact the local Indian Consulate for information on the procedure to replace a lost passport; you can do this from the U.S. and often by mail. --Report your lost Visa to the U.S. Embassy Abroad Fax the Consular Section at the Embassy in India that issued your visa, to report it lost. Go to the Embassy Consular Section Website to locate the Fax number and contact information. Specifically state whether the visa was lost or stolen. Be sure to include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, address in the U.S., and an email address. If you have a copy of the passport or visa, fax this to the Embassy or consular section. Otherwise, if known, report the category of visa, and the passport number. If you have already reported your visa lost to the U.S. Embassy abroad, and then you later find your misplaced visa, please note that the visas will be invalid for future travel to the U.S, and you must apply in person for a new visa when you next return to India. --Apply for a Replacement United States Visa Lost U.S. visas cannot be replaced in the United States. When you return to India next, you must apply in person at the U.S. Embassy. When applying for the replacement of a visa, you will need to provide a written account documenting the loss of your passport and visa. Include a copy of the police report. | |
| 7) I have completed my BE (Computer Science) from Jntu and I have been issued an F-1 visa to pursue Master of Sciences at the University of Texas for the Fall term. Due to an unavoidable reason, I could not confirm my admission for this term. Now I plan to attend UTD for Spring with the same visa that was issued three months back. Will the INS at the port of entry allow me to enter the U.S.? I contacted the U.S. Embassy at Chennai and the officers advised me get an updated I-20 form from the university before leaving India. Please tell me the measures I need to take to avoid denial of entry or any other problems. A)To be sure that you have no troubles, you will need to contact your university and ask them to issue and send you a new I-20 form, with your new spring term start date. | |
| 8) I am working in the U.S. on an L-1 visa. I have secured admission to an MBA program and need to convert to an F-1 student visa. What is the process? Can I get an F-1 visa while in the U.S.? I have adequate proof of funding. A) If you would like to be a student, you have two options: 1) you can apply while still in the U.S. for a change of status to an F-1 student visa, or 2) you can depart the U.S., and apply for the F-1 student visa back in India. If you intend to stay in the U.S., you will need to file the Application to Change Nonimmigrant Status, using the Form I-539. The cost is USD$ 300.00 and processing can take between one-four months, so be sure to plan ahead as you will not be able to begin going to school until your application has been approved. Once you have been approved, if you plan to leave the U.S. at any time, you will need to return to India and get your passport stamped with the new F-1 visa, before you return to the U.S. to continue your studies. | |
| 9) I have been to US already on H4 visa when i was married to an H-1 visa holder. Now that i am seperated from my spouse, I would like to study in U.S. myself and have been accepted at College. At present, I am in India. Can I apply for an F-1 visa now? A) Yes, There is no connection between your old H-4 visa and your new F-1 visa, but do note that if you have changed your name after the marital separation, you will need to apply for a new passport before you apply for the new F-1 visa. | |
| 10) What should I do if I fall out of status on my F-1 Student Visa? A) It is your responsibility to comply with all immigration regulations that apply to non-immigrant students while you are in the U.S. If you violate the terms of your visa status, you must be "reinstated" to F-1 student status and this process can be risky for many reasons as you may not be able to continue your studies in the U.S. In addition, it is very expensive to apply for reinstatement, or to return to your country to get a new visa. If you fall out of status on your F-1 visa, you have two options: 1) Regaining status through departure from the U.S. and applying for a new visa in your home country, then re-entering using a new Form I-20 (with a new SEVIS ID number) from your university. 2) Applying for reinstatement while you are still in the U.S. Do note that there are risks to both options. It is recommended to only apply for reinstatement if you can prove the following: 1)You have not been out of status for more than five months. 2)The status violation was beyond your control. 3)You do not have a record of repeated violations. 4)You are pursuing a full-time course of study. 5)You have not worked illegally. 6)You are not deportable on any grounds other than those for which reinstatement is being requested. | |
There are many important things to make note of while a student is going abroad for higher education. Factors such as the college which is chosen, the weather conditions, the lifestyle and culture of the local surroundings, the fee structure, the course content, employment opportunities, student strength from native country etc play a key role. However, one of the most important aspects beyond all this is accommodation. A lot of groundwork is required in order to decide on this one.So, here are few important pointers given by experts to students on this. It is advisable to take some guidance from the university sources and speak to the students who are already in the university. There are also specific organizations which can provide you with good accommodation. Checking out student notice boards and local newspapers is another option which gives you information on accommodation availability. Timing is also important so it is better you start planning for accommodation as early as you can to get the best place of stay.
It also depends on where you are studying so sometimes accommodation would be readily available and sometimes you have to plan it months in advance. In countries like UK, it is better to go for campus accommodation or halls of residence. It is within the campus, safe and secure and offers all sorts of facilities. You also get to interact with students of other countries more frequently. Of course, the residence halls are a bit cagey since few things like bathroom, social area have to be shared.
Another option is to go for a home-stay with a native family. To those who prefer something private without any university buzz, this is a better option. Usually the price also includes your meal and you have more opportunity to learn the local language along with understanding the local culture. But make sure you check the quality of furnishings, enough desk space for your computer, kitchen with cooking utensils, laundry facilities along with bedsheet and linen availability. Telephone and internet is also another facility you have to check. Make a note of all this folks!!
The last two or three months has been quite crucial and tense for most of the students. It is the exam season and things get more important if the students are appearing for their boards or Class XII exams or the university or degree level examinations. While those who are planning for higher education could get busy planning for their entrance examinations or the ground work to locate the right kind of college or university for them, there are those who do have ample time to unwind.So, what are the various options for students to spend the summer season. While most of them tend to plan for their vacations by traveling to their relatives or their ancestral homes, here are few more options. Students can look at taking up part time jobs. This should enable them to gain some experience and also some pocket money for expenditure. It will also groom their interaction and communication skills along with few other qualities which is much required once they get into real jobs.
On the other hand, students can utilize this as the right opportunity for pursuing their passions. It could be learning music, art, dance and even cooking. Though it may not bring benefits in terms of money, it will definitely work as a recreation and relaxation tool after a hard day's work in the future. There are times when such passion activities can trigger more interest and this can also become a career going forward. Those who are weak in communication or soft skills can take up small time courses to upgrade their skills as it would be helpful for them going forward.
Taking part in voluntary work or campaigns that promote nature and environment or doing something for the society is also a very valuable activity. This will enable the students to develop more responsibility as a citizen and a moral consciousness grows. With examination results already being announced for few of the examinations, perhaps it is time for the students to start planning for their next move. Seeking guidance from elders or going for career counseling sessions is also a good idea. Go for it folks!!
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| Photo used for illustrative purpose |
"It is proposed that the JEE test will be conducted at least twice a year so that students who wish to attempt more than once can be allowed to do so in a year," said a note from the MHRD, giving details of the admission procedure from 2013.Experts suggested this could mean that the institutions may consider admissions twice a year, but IIT faculty were non-committal on the matter.
"Several reasons are being given for the proposal. Nothing has been finalized yet. The authorities expect the test to slowly be part of the admission process for all technical institutions in the country, some of which may consider admissions twice a year," said IIT-Madras director Bhaskar Ramamurthi. He said the MHRD reasons that if a candidate does badly in the first test in April, he/she could try again the same year. Another reason is that it could probably bring down the load of candidates taking the test in a year, making it easier to conduct the test.
The MHRD also suggested that from 2013, students aspiring for a seat in technical institutions cannot go easy on their language exam. The percentile rank of students in the board exams will also be specified in the JEE result and will be calculated based on the scores obtained in the boards in physics, chemistry, mathematics, one language subject, and the best subject among the electives taken by the student. "Often class 12 students taking the maths - physics - chemistry - computer science group slack off on the last subject because only the first three are considered for admission to a technical institute. With such a component, they will have to accord equal importance to computer science or an equivalent subject as well," said a Chennai school correspondent.
The test will have two papers - main and advance - lasting three hours each. Taking the views of the IIT Faculty Federation into consideration, the ministry has said the exam will not only test the foundational understanding of the candidate in physics, chemistry and mathematics learned throughout school, but also the psychometric and problem-solving abilities of students, as well as their problem formulation and incisive thinking capabilities. "IIT-JEE only has problems based on concepts in physics, chemistry and mathematics that students will have to provide solutions for," said professor Arindhama Singh, IIT-JEE chairman for the Madras zone.
In addition to the marks in the three components, a Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTI) rank will also be given to each candidate. The rank will be determined according to the following weightage - board marks - 40%, main test - 30%, advance test - 30%. The ministry has said that the syllabus for the main and advance tests will be the same, and will be prescribed by the academic group of JEE each year.
Admission to IITs, NITs and IIITs will be through a single window online counselling system based on the CFTI rank. The ministry wants to create several committees - including a JEE Apex Board (JAB), a JEE Academic Group (JAG), a JEE Delivery Group (JDG) and a JEE Interface Group (JIG) - to conduct the exam efficiently. The JEE Apex Body will be constituted by IIT-NIT Council and will include representative directors of IIT, NIT and IIITs, a representative of the ministry and the chairman of CBSE and AICTE.
Admission to the prestigious IITs in India is hereafter likely to be granted by conducting a general aptitude-cum-advanced knowledge test. The government has decided to do away with IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) from 2013 onwards.The marks scored in the aptitude test would be given 60% weightage while plus two school board marks would be given 40% weightage for deciding the admission list into an IIT. Admissions to all centrally funded institutions will be based on the aptitude test and board marks. The common aptitude test could be given twice a year. Students will also be able to take the test online from 2014.
The test will have two sections – simple aptitude testing to determine the candidate’s ability and an advanced section aspirants can choose not to write.
“It’s good that the exam is in two sections. It’ll reduce our burden and we can concentrate more on specific subjects,” said Meera Mohan, a higher secondary student in Trivandrum.
