What is a visa?

你不能在美国境内申请F-1或J-1签证.S. 签证只能在美国境外获得.S. at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

最好是在美国移民局申请签证.S. consulate in your home country, unless circumstances or travel plans make this impossible.  也许可以在美国移民局申请签证.S. 在本国以外的国家有领事馆. This is called a “第三国国民(TCN)” application. Not all U.S. 领事馆接受TCN申请, and some allow TCN applications for limited situations; check with individual consulates, 包括加拿大和墨西哥, 的TCN应用策略.

在本国以外的国家申请可能会有风险. For instance, 如果你在加拿大申请新的签证，遇到延误, 你必须在处理期间留在加拿大. 您将无法再次进入美国.S. 直到新的签证被批准.

U.S. 领事馆要求大多数签证申请人进行面谈. You are encouraged to schedule the visa interview appointment as early as possible. Students applying for initial-entry F-1 and F-2 visas may be issued the visas up to 120 days before the academic program start date as noted on the I-20. J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors may be issued visas at any time before the beginning of their programs.

The U.S. 国土安全部有一个很好的网站 visa application process, 你应该仔细研究一下. You can also find information about how long it will take to get your visa.   由于各种原因，签证处理可能会出现延误, 根据你的研究领域加强安全审查, country of origin, 以及完成学业后回国的可能性.  You must have your visa stamp in your passport prior to travel to the U.S.

与祖国的联系
Under U.S. law, 所有非移民签证申请人, such as student visas, are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. "Ties" to your home country are the things that bind you to your home town, homeland, 或目前居住地:工作, family, 你拥有或将继承的财务前景, investments, etc. 如果你是未来的本科生, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, 家庭或其他关系, educational objectives, grades, 在祖国的长期计划和职业前景. 每个人的情况都不一样, of course, 没有神奇的解释或单一的文件, certificate, 或能保证签证发放的信件. 如果你已经申请了美国签证.S. Green Card Lottery, you may be asked if you are intending to immigrate. A simple answer would be that you applied for the lottery since it was available but not with a specific intent to immigrate. 如果你在美国停留的时间超过了法定期限.S. previously, 准备清楚而简洁地解释发生了什么, 如果有可用的文档.

ENGLISH
Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, 但是不要准备演讲稿! If you are coming to the United States solely to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
面试时不带父母或家人. 领事官员想要采访的是你，不是你的家人. A negative impression is created if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf. If you are a minor applying for a high school program and need your parents there in case there are questions, for example about funding, 他们应该在候诊室等着.

了解这个项目，以及它如何符合你的职业规划
If you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate. 你还应该能够解释在美国学习是如何帮助你的.S. 关系到你回国后的职业生涯.

BE BRIEF
因为收到了大量的申请, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. 他们必须做出决定, for the most part, 他们在面试的第一分钟形成的印象. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. 回答警官的问题时要简明扼要.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION
It should be immediately clear to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. 冗长的书面解释不能快速阅读或评估. 记住你只有2-3分钟的面试时间.

并非所有国家都是平等的
Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the U.S. 因为移民将更难获得签证. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the U.S.

EMPLOYMENT
你来美国的主要目的应该是学习, 不是为了毕业前或毕业后的工作机会. 然而，许多学生在学习期间在校外工作, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program. 如果你的配偶也在申请F-2签证, 请注意，F-2家属不能, under any circumstances, be employed in the U.S. If asked, be prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the U.S. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities.

留在家中的受养人
如果你的配偶和孩子留在你的国家, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gains the impression that your family will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support themselves, 你的学生签证申请几乎肯定会被拒绝. 如果你的家人决定晚些时候和你在一起, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa.

保持积极的态度
不要和领事官员争论. 如果你的学生签证被拒, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, 试着把你被拒绝的原因写下来.