International Student Visa Requirements

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A Visa to Your Education

Once you have been officially accepted to DeVry University or its Keller Graduate School of Management, you will need to obtain an F-1 Visa and work with an International Student Advisor to coordinate all steps you'll need to take to officially become a student.

From Acceptance to Enrollment

As an international student, obtaining a visa will be your first order of business after being accepted to DeVry or Keller. Once granted a visa¹, you'll want to accomplish the following in preparation for your move to America:

Select courses for your first semester
Electronically wire your tuition
Arrange travel to the U.S.
Send copies of your travel documents to an International Student Advisor as soon as possible

How to Obtain Your Visa

Pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee

When accepted by DeVry or Keller, prospective students will be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Prospective students must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. Keller Graduate School of Management will provide prospective students with Form I-20 to present to the consular officer when attending the visa interview. Visit the U.S. Immigration & Customs website to learn about paying the SEVIS I-901 fee.

1. Apply

There are several steps to apply for a visa. Please consult the instructions available on the embassy or consulate website where you intend to apply.

Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160:

Complete online visa application
Print application confirmation page and bring to your visa interview

While completing online Form DS-160, prospective student will upload their photo. Photo must be in the format explained in Photograph Requirements.

2. Schedule an Interview

Schedule an appointment for a visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season and visa category, so apply for your visa early.

3. Prepare for the Interview

Pay the non-refundable visa application fee, if you are required to do so before the interview. Then, make sure to gather all of the required documentation before your visa interview:

Passport valid for travel to U.S. – Passport must be valid for at least six months beyond planned period of stay in U.S.
Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
Application fee payment receipt, if required to pay before interview
Photo – Upload photo while completing online Form DS-160
Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status – Keller Graduate School of Management will send a SEVIS-generated Form I-20 once entered information in SEVIS database
Prospective student and school official must sign Form I-20

Additional documents may be requested to establish that prospective student is qualified. Additional requested documents may include evidence of:

Academic preparation
Intent to depart U.S. upon completion of course of study
How prospective student will pay all educational, living, and travel costs

4. Prove Home Country Ties

Official documents that show any strong ties to your home country are helpful to bring to the visa interview. For example:

If the family owns a business, bring letters from the bank that describes the business and/or documents showing that the business is registered
If the family owns property, bring deeds or other documents proving ownership.
If prospective student and family have previously visited the U.S., bring passports to demonstrate they have been issued visas in the past, visited U.S., and have returned to home country.

5. Attend Visa Interview

During a visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa. When a visa is approved, you may pay a visa issuance fee if applicable to nationality, and then you will be informed of how the passport with visa will be returned. Please review the visa processing time to learn how soon the passport with your visa will be ready for pick-up or delivery.

If denied a visa, you will receive a formal notice from U.S. immigration authorities explaining the reason for denial and offering the option to apply again with new information. If this happens, please contact your DeVry or Keller International Admissions Advisor immediately and fax or email a copy of denial notice so we can update our files and make recommendations in case you want to reapply.

DeVry and Keller cannot guarantee a prospective student will be issued a visa. A prospective student should not make final travel plans or buy tickets until he or she has been granted a visa.

¹DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management cannot guarantee a prospective student will be issued a visa. A prospective student should not make final travel plans or buy tickets until he or she has been granted a visa.