How to get an American Student Visa Sponsorship. The part of securing your own degree or academic pursuit in America can be quite daunting and challenging. You have so many things that could pose a challenge one of which is the Tuition fees. International students that don’t have the money to sponsor themselves, apply for an American student visa sponsorship.
Applying for an American student visa sponsorship comes with its own challenges as many schools have their own requirements for the processing which include the I-2O form, eligibility status, and proof of funds of your potential sponsor. Oftentimes, prospective international students are unaware or unable to provide such documents during the application process which in the end affects their application.
These documents are required by the DLIs. DLI means distant learning institutes. These are universities in America that offer admission to foreign students to study and get a degree and also provide scholarship programs.
If a student cannot provide the DLSs with the appropriate documents this may result in your inability to obtain the Form I-20 from the school. And without this form, you wouldn’t be able to start your visa sponsorship application. In this article, we would be given you the necessary information you need to start the process for your visa sponsorship application.
Getting Admitted to an American University
Yes, you probably may have gotten admitted into an American university, but it doesn’t stop there. Getting admitted doesn’t necessarily mean you would be given access to the I-20 Form. What you need to understand is that the admission process of the University is entirely different than the visa sponsorship process.
You must first secure an acceptance letter from the school. After this, you can then move to the next phase of your application. Which is processing to obtain the Form I-20 from your school. This form must be in-hand and all documents are needed in order to be given a student visa.
Part of the documents of the Form I-20 is that the student or sponsor, in this case, must be able to prove that he/she can sponsor the student’s education throughout the entire sessions of her degree in the school. This process is different from just meeting the admission requirement of the school.
Sponsorship for more than the Tuition Fees
The sponsors need to provide evidence that they can not only sponsor the student’s tuition fees but also more than that. It’s not enough to show that you have the financial capability of providing the student’s tuition fees. But also other costs like living expenses, housing expenses, and many others needed.
Demonstrating financial sufficiency often time’s means securing a financial sponsor willing and able to cater for all expenses including tuition, books, supplies, fees, and living expenses for the duration of the study at the university.
These funds should be available at the time of application and not after. Sponsors would be rejected if funds are based on the hope of employment. The School needs to know the sponsors have the funds in hand before the student can be given the Form I-20.
Most times the school provides the necessary information about the cost of living for each academic year on the catalogs or website. This information would be needed for the sponsor to ascertain. If they would be able to cater to the student’s academic pursuits.
Bank Statements for the American Student Visa Sponsorship
A bank statement is needed if you have a sponsor who is a friend, family relative, company, or other body. Proof of financial support may take the form of award letters or signed sponsorship letters that appear on company letterhead.
The schools sometimes provide official school forms for international students to certify financial responsibility if they are sponsoring themselves. In this case, the international students will be expected to sign a form attesting that the information provided is correct.
After all, requirements have been met proving financial support, you would receive the I-20 Form. Receiving this Form doesn’t automatically guarantee the issuance of an American student visa. Furthermore, the SEVP requires the student to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. This fee was brought about by the United States Congress in 2002 and is in addition to any school SEVIS administrative fees.
Further Processing of an American Visa Sponsorship
After all, the required documents have been met and you have been given the 1-20 Form. You still need to get your American Student Visa. What you will need to do is bring your admissions letter of acceptance and financial support documents, proof of payment of the 1-901 SEVIS fee along with the I-20 Form to the American Embassy where you would apply for your student visa.
This is where all information would be reviewed and accessed. Note that the American Embassy may request further financial information. So this shouldn’t be strange to you if they request such.
Helpful Tips
Below are some of the helpful tips before and during your application:
- Request for financial sponsorship requirement documents from the school before applying for admission
- Provide the requested document before the due date
- Request for the breakdown of the school tuition fees and all other fees involved in the full course of study
- Ask about the prospect of working in the USA after your studies and what requirements would be needed.
If you play your card right. Getting an American Visa sponsorship might just be a start and could possibly lead to having a permanent residency in the country.
