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Preparing for your visa interview

You need to obtain your DS-2019 from UNCP. You must then apply (make an appointment) at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your home country for a J-1 student entry visa. Once you have done this, when you have your interview at the consulate, you will need to bring your form DS-2019, your passport, your financial documents that prove the amount of money printed on your DS-2019, and the receipt from the payment of your SEVIS fee.

At your interview, the immigration officer will want to establish three items with verbal confirmation:

1. That you are a bona fide student,
2. That you can pay for your education, and
3. That you plan to return to your home country once you complete your education in the U.S.

Under U.S. immigration law, "Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant status." This means that the student visa applicants must establish that they have binding ties to a residence in a foreign country, that they have no intention of abandoning that country, and that they will depart from the U.S. when they have completed their studies.

Original documents are necessary for your application for a J-1 student visa. Consular standards for visa eligibility are more demanding than the standards you must meet to qualify for a DS-2019 from UNC Pembroke. The consular officer will require you to provide the same (and possibly additional) financial documentation that you provided for the Admissions Office. You will be required to show this documentation again upon arrival in the U.S. at your port of entry.

You must complete Form DF-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form) and any supplementary forms required by the particular consulate. Check directly with the consulate at which you plan to apply for your J-1 entry visa for application procedures. Most require that applications be made in person; some consulates will permit applications by mail with interviews if needed. The length of visa validity, number of entries permitted, and application fee are based on reciprocity and generally reflect your country's policies in granting visa privileges to visiting U.S. students.

U.S. government regulations require you to attend the school which issues the visa certificate you use to enter the U.S. Since you plan to enroll at UNC Pembroke, please use our DS-2019.

Individual procedures and the amount of time required to obtain a visa vary from country to country. The consular officer makes the final decision on your application; his or her judgment is not subject to review.

Updated: Thursday, February 28, 2008

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