International students must obtain a nonimmigrant student (F-1) visa to enter the United States for academic study. Nonimmigrant status indicates that a student intends to return to his or her home country after completing an academic program.

To be eligible for a student visa, you must provide evidence that

• you are a resident of a country other than the United States to which you intend to return;
• you are seeking admission to the United States temporarily and solely for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study at the academic institution you plan to attend; and
• you have adequate financial resources to cover the cost of the first year of schooling.

The United States requires that first-time student visa applicants from most countries appear for an in-person interview. The consular affairs page of the U.S. Department of State web site at www.educationusa.state.gov providesdetailed information about applying for a student visa, including specific procedures for the embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence.

In general, all applicants for a student visa must provide

• a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Visa (Form I-20) obtained from a U.S. school or university. After you have been accepted to Erikson and provided evidence of financial support, you will be issued a Certificate of Eligibility no more than 90 days before the beginning of the first academic term in which you intend to enroll.
• a completed nonimmigrant visa application (Form DS-156) with photo. These forms are available at the embassy for no charge;
• a passport valid for at least six months after your proposed date of entry into the United States;
• a receipt for the visa processing fee;
• transcripts and diplomas from previous institutions attended;
• scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language examination;
• documentation of financial support, including bank statements, tax documents, etc.

Download Statement of Financial Support and Certificate of Eligibility application form.
Please be sure to check with the U.S. Department of State for student visa requirements.

If your visa application is denied, please obtain a written notice of the denial and fax it to Erikson Institute at (312) 755-0928. We encourage you to apply again as soon as possible and to obtain, if possible, the name of the visa officer and a list of the additional documents requested by the visa officer in order to reconsider your application.