F-1 student visa

United States

Decided in three minutes, prepared over three months

The F-1 is the only destination on this list where a person, not a caseworker, makes the decision — and does it in a few minutes. Government fees start at US$535, and the DS-160 now requires five years of social media history, including inactive accounts.

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Figures verified

September 2026

Funds to evidence
The exact figure printed on your I-20
Post-study work
Optional Practical Training, with a STEM extension for eligible fields
Intakes
August · January · May

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaStudy in the States (DHS) — Paying the I-901 SEVIS feeLast verified September 2026

Why USA

The case, and the conditions.

Visa
F-1 student visa
Currency
USD ($)
Processing
Interview appointment availability, not adjudication, is the constraint.
A student reading between tall library shelves

The United States remains unmatched for research funding, assistantships and the breadth of graduate programmes. It is also the only destination here where the decision is made face to face, on the day, by a consular officer with a queue behind you.

That changes what preparation means. The paperwork gets you to the window; the interview decides the outcome. In 2026 those interviews are short and focus almost entirely on two things: whether your funding is credible and whether your academic intent is coherent. Financial documents must reconcile exactly with the figure printed on your I-20 — not approximately, exactly.

The fee structure is fixed and public. The I-901 SEVIS fee is US$350 and the DS-160 / MRV fee is US$185, so US$535 in government fees before any institutional deposit.

One procedural change deserves particular attention. All social media handles used in the past five years must be declared on the DS-160, including accounts you no longer use, and consulates may instruct applicants to set profiles to public for screening. An omitted handle is a misrepresentation issue, not an oversight.

Changes to plan around

  1. Five-year social media disclosure on the DS-160

    Every handle used in the last five years, including inactive accounts. Consulates may ask you to make profiles public for screening.

    SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

  2. Interviews in 2026 are short and funding-led

    Financial documents must reconcile exactly with the I-20 cost of attendance. Rehearse the funding answer above all others.

    SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

Programmes & institutions

What students in your field study here.

Programmes commonly offered here in the disciplines we specialise in, and the institutions worth knowing. A sample, not a ranking — and not a claim of partnership or placement.

Healthcare & engineering focus

  • MS Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • MS Industrial Engineering

Other programmes that recur

  • MS Computer Science
  • MS Data Science
  • MS Business Analytics
  • MS Information Systems

Institutions to know

A sample of well-known institutions, not a ranking. We shortlist against your record, your discipline and your budget.

  • Purdue University

    West Lafayette, IN

    Large engineering graduate intake with substantial assistantship funding.

  • Arizona State University

    Tempe, AZ

    Very large programme catalogue; strong in engineering and sustainability.

  • Northeastern University

    Boston, MA

    Co-op model built into most master's programmes.

  • University of Texas at Dallas

    Richardson, TX

    Computing and business analytics, with a substantial international cohort.

  • Rutgers University

    New Brunswick, NJ

    Broad research base within reach of the New York metro.

  • University of Illinois Chicago

    Chicago, IL

    Health sciences and urban policy, with an urban campus.

Tuition

Inside the I-20 cost of attendance

Tuition is set programme by programme, not nationally. We quote the exact figure from your offer letter and model it against the financial evidence your visa requires — we do not publish averages, because no student pays an average.

Cost of living, line by line

The cost of attendance on your I-20

School-calculated and institution-specific. This is the number that must be evidenced.

We use the I-20 cost of attendance as the planning figure because it is the number the consulate uses. Anything else invites a mismatch at the window.

Verified requirements

The figures, with the page they came from.

There is no single national threshold. The school calculates your cost of attendance and prints it on the Form I-20; you must evidence that amount, and your documents must reconcile with it precisely. Government fees are separate: US$350 for the I-901 SEVIS fee and US$185 for the DS-160 / MRV fee, a minimum of US$535.

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaStudy in the States (DHS) — Paying the I-901 SEVIS feeLast verified September 2026

Verified United States F-1 student visa requirements, each with its source and the date it was last checked.
RequirementFigure in force
I-901 SEVIS fee

US$350

As of February 2026. Paid after the I-20 is issued and before the visa interview.

SourceStudy in the States (DHS) — Paying the I-901 SEVIS feeLast verified September 2026

DS-160 / MRV fee

US$185

The non-immigrant visa application fee, paid before scheduling the interview.

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

Minimum government fees

US$535

I-901 plus MRV. Institutional deposits, courier charges and travel are additional.

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

Form I-20

Required

Issued by an SEVP-certified school. Your financial evidence must reconcile exactly with the cost of attendance printed on it.

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

Social media disclosure

Five years of handles

All handles used in the past five years must be declared on the DS-160, including inactive accounts. Consulates may instruct applicants to set profiles to public for screening.

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

Interview

In person at a consular post

Short, and focused on funding credibility and academic intent.

SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaLast verified September 2026

The process

From offer letter to decision.

F-1 student visa

The order matters more than the paperwork. Several of these steps require money to move, or a document to age, before the next one can start.

A vast modern library atrium with towering shelves of books
  1. 01

    Secure admission and the Form I-20

    Varies by institution

    Only SEVP-certified schools can issue an I-20. Check that every detail — name, funding, programme dates — matches your documents.

  2. 02

    Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee

    Same day

    US$350. Keep the receipt; you will be asked for it at the interview.

  3. 03

    Complete the DS-160

    1–2 hours, with review

    Declare all social media handles used in the past five years, including inactive accounts. Errors here are difficult to correct later.

  4. 04

    Pay the MRV fee and schedule the interview

    Post-dependent

    US$185. Appointment availability is the usual bottleneck — book the moment the fee clears.

  5. 05

    Attend the interview

    Typically under five minutes

    Expect a short conversation testing funding credibility and academic intent. We rehearse this properly, twice.

Rights and pathways

What the visa lets you do.

Work rights are conditions printed on the visa you are actually granted, not a national constant. Read the grant notice — where we quote hours or caps, we quote them from the published source rather than a figure that may already have moved.

  • After you graduate

    Optional Practical Training, with a STEM extension for eligible fields

    Optional Practical Training is the standard post-completion work authorisation for F-1 graduates, with an extension available to graduates of eligible STEM-designated programmes. Eligibility is programme-specific — confirm the CIP code with the school before you enrol.

    SourceU.S. Department of State — Student visaStudy in the States (DHS) — Paying the I-901 SEVIS feeLast verified September 2026

  • While you study

    On-campus only in the first academic year; off-campus needs CPT or OPT authorisation.

    On-campus employment only during the first academic year, within the limits set by your school. Off-campus work requires separate authorisation under Curricular or Optional Practical Training.

  • Toward residence

    No direct route — employer sponsorship after a period of work authorisation.

    No direct route. Permanent residence ordinarily requires employer sponsorship after a period of work authorisation, and timelines vary greatly by category and country of birth. Plan study on its own merits.

  • English tests accepted

    TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic and Duolingo, depending on the institution

  • Processing

    Interview appointment availability, not adjudication, is usually the constraint. Wait times differ sharply between consular posts and move week to week — check your post before you commit to an intake.

Common refusal grounds

What gets USA files refused.

Almost none of it is academic. These are the grounds we prepare against from the first week of a file.

  1. Funding that does not reconcile with the I-20

    How we pre-empt it

    We reconcile every account, sponsor letter and loan sanction to the exact cost of attendance before the interview is booked.

  2. An academic plan the applicant cannot explain in one sentence

    How we pre-empt it

    Two full mock interviews, recorded, with the questions the post in your city actually asks.

  3. Undeclared or inconsistent social media history

    How we pre-empt it

    We run the five-year handle audit as a standard step on every US file.

  4. A sponsor relationship the officer cannot follow

    How we pre-empt it

    Sponsorship is documented with income evidence and relationship proof, not an affidavit alone.

Start here

USA, or one of the other six?

Book a free profile assessment. We will tell you honestly whether this destination fits your record, what would have to change first, and — if it is the better answer — which of the other six fits it better.

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  • Fees and services are discussed openly during consultation.

The other six

Most students compare at least three.

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Important — please read

Medica Study Advisor is an independent study-abroad consultancy. We are not a law firm and do not provide immigration legal advice. Visa rules, fees and financial thresholds change frequently — always confirm current requirements with the relevant official government authority before acting. Figures shown were last verified in September 2026.

Medica Study Advisor does not guarantee admissions, visa outcomes, jobs or sponsorships. We provide guidance, information and support to help you pursue opportunities responsibly.

Verified againstU.S. Department of State — Student visaStudy in the States (DHS) — Paying the I-901 SEVIS feeLast verified September 2026

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