USA Student Visa Requirements for Indian Students

Many Indian students, along with other international students, make plans to go to American universities for college-level education, as some colleges of the U.S.A. are ranked among the top universities in the world.

But coming to colleges in the U.S.A. involves more than being accepted academically as a student; it also involves dealing with the legal and governmental aspects of traveling to the U.S.A.

(Though, if you need more information about that "being accepted academically" part, be sure to check out the rest of Petersons.com. For essay assistance, be sure to head to EssayEdge and determine if the expert essay editing services available there are just what you need.)
As an Indian student intending to study in the U.S.A., you will need to acquire a U.S.A. student visa from a U.S. Embassy near you. The U.S. Embassies in India are located in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai.
The process for obtaining a U.S.A. student visa from one of these embassies might seem long and complicated, but the more you are prepared and the faster you put together your documentation, the quicker you will be able to start your adventure at a U.S.A. university.

Types of visas
The type of visa granted to you will depend on the purpose of your visit to the U.S. For academic purposes, students will need to obtain an F-class U.S.A. student visa. These visas cover students planning to pursue full-time degree programs at either the undergraduate or graduate level.

What to do before the visa interview for study in the U.S.A.
Make sure that you complete Form DS-160 before the interview for your U.S. student visa. After completing Form DS-160, print out the confirmation page with the barcode on a laser printer. Then, go to an approved HDFC bank in order to pay the visa application fee. Save the receipt from the payment.
You should also make sure that you have the I-120 form, which is a form issued by colleges in the U.S.A. for affirming enrollment, and you should make sure to pay the I-901 fee online through the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement website. Save the receipt.
Finally, make an appointment for a U.S.A. student visa interview through the VFS website. This will require you to have your DS-160 barcode number and your HDFC fee receipt.

What to bring to the U.S. student visa interview

When interviewing for your U.S.A. student visa, make sure not to arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your appointed time, and bring the following documents with you:

• Valid passport and previously issued passports
• Recent passport size photograph with a white background (50mm x 50mm)
• DS-160 confirmation page with barcode
• HDFC visa application fee receipts
• VFS appointment letter
• SEVIS receipt and I-120

While the above list from the Consulate General of the United States' Mumbai, India website is up-to-date, always check to see if changes were made to the required list by visiting the website of the U.S. Embassy near you.

What happens if your U.S.A. student visa is postponed or not approved?

Postponement of your U.S. student visa just means you have to wait longer for an answer from the consulate about your case. There still may be a chance that your visa will be refused, but there is also a fair likelihood that you will be approved. Waiting for further response or action, or contacting the consulate, should be your next step.
Even if your visa application is refused, it's not the end of the world. While you cannot appeal your case, you can reapply, pay the visa processing fees again, and schedule another appointment. You will be given information from the U.S. Embassy on what to do.

Getting to colleges in the U.S.A.
Once you have arrived in the U.S. at your point of entry, your passport, U.S. student visa, and I-94 will be verified by an immigration official to see if and how long you can be admitted. The process is detailed in an easy to understand format on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website regarding admission to the U.S.
In general, make sure you have all documentation, including the information for your visa, and photocopies of your passport, just in case. Not having the proper documentation is one of the most common ways for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conclude that you should be sent back to your home country

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Bringing your dependents: USA Student VISA

Bringing your dependents

The Spouse and/or unmarried children (under the age of 21) who wish to accompany or join the student in the USA, need to apply for a dependent visa. The type of dependent visa will depend on the type of student visa the student has been granted. For more information visit: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-typefandm.asp#supportingdocsdependents

Work rights for your spouse

The spouse of a student cannot work if they have travelled to the USA on a dependent visa. If seeking employment, the appropriate work visa will be required.
For more information visit: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-typefandm.asp#supportingdocsdependents

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Post study work rights: USA

Student visa [F-1] holders are eligible for a total of 12 months Optional Practical Training [OPT] per educational level completed.
To get the Additional 17 months OPT extension [total of 29 months which includes 12 months OPT as stated above], student must complete a degree from STEM Majors. STEM refers to degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics.

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Temporary Worker Visas in USA

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Temporary worker visas are for persons who want to enter the United States for employment lasting a fixed period of time, and are not considered permanent or indefinite. Each of these visas requires the prospective employer to first file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An approved petition is required to apply for a work visa.

Temporary worker visa categories

Visa category	General description – About an individual in this category:
H-1B: Person in Specialty Occupation	To work in a specialty occupation. Requires a higher education degree or its equivalent. Includes fashion models of distinguished merit and ability and government-to-government research and development, or co-production projects administered by the Department of Defense.
H-2A: Temporary Agricultural Worker	For temporary or seasonal agricultural work. Limited to citizens or nationals of designated countries, with limited exceptions, if determined to be in the United States interest.
H-2B: Temporary Non-agricultural Worker	For temporary or seasonal non- agricultural work. Limited to citizens or nationals of designated countries, with limited exceptions, if determined to be in the United States interest.
H-3: Trainee or Special Education visitor	To receive training, other than graduate medical or academic, that is not available in the trainee’s home country or practical training programs in the education of children with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities.
L: Intracompany Transferee	To work at a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of the current employer in a managerial or executive capacity, or in a position requiring specialized knowledge.  Individual must have been employed by the same employer abroad continuously for 1 year within the three preceding years.
O: Individual with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement	For persons with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or extraordinary recognized achievements in the motion picture and television fields, demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim, to work in their field of expertise. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
P-1: Individual or Team Athlete, or Member of an Entertainment Group	To perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete or as a member of an entertainment group. Requires an internationally recognized level of sustained performance. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
P-2: Artist or Entertainer (Individual or Group)	For performance under a reciprocal exchange program between an organization in the United States and an organization in another country. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
P-3: Artist or Entertainer (Individual or Group)	To perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique or a traditional ethnic, folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.
Q-1: Participant in an International Cultural Exchange Program	For practical training and employment and for sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of your home country through participation in an international cultural exchange program.

Labor Certification - Some temporary worker visa categories require your prospective employer to obtain a labor certification or other approval from the Department of Labor on your behalf before filing the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, with USCIS. Your prospective employer should review the Instructions for Form I-129 on the USCIS website to determine whether labor certification is required for you.
Petition Approval - Some temporary worker categories are limited in total number of petitions which can be approved on a yearly basis. Before you can apply for a temporary worker visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, must be filed on your behalf by a prospective employer and be approved by USCIS. For more information  about the petition process, eligibility requirements by visa category, and numerical limits, if applicable, see Working in the U.S. and Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Workers on the USCIS website. Once the petition is approved, USCIS will send your prospective employer a Notice of Action, Form I-797.

How to Apply

After USCIS approves the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129), you may apply for a visa. There are several steps in the visa application process. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you apply. Please consult the instructions available on the embassy or consulate website where you will apply.

Complete The Online Visa Application

• Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 – Learn more about completing the DS-160. You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.
• Photo –You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. Your photo must be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Schedule an Interview

While interviews are generally not required for applicants of certain ages outlined below, consular officers have the discretion to require an interview of any applicant, regardless of age.

If you are age:	Then an interview is:
13 and younger	Generally not required
14-79	Required (some exceptions for renewals)
80 and older	Generally not required

You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview, generally, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. You may schedule your interview at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate, but be aware that it may be difficult to qualify for a visa outside of your place of permanent residence.
Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa early. Review the interview wait time for the location where you will apply:

You will need to provide the receipt number that is printed on your approved Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, or Notice of Action, Form I-797, to schedule an interview.

Prepare for your Interview

• Fees - Pay the non-refundable visa application fee, if you are required to pay it before your interview. When your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee, if applicable to your nationality. Fee information is provided below:

Review the instructions available on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply to learn more about fee payment.

• L visa applicants included in a L blanket petition: You must also pay the Fraud Prevention and Detection fee and may need to pay the Border Security Act fee. Select All Fees to learn more.
  

Gather Required Documentation

Gather and prepare the following required documents before your visa interview:

• Passport valid for travel to the United States - Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person who needs a visa must submit a separate application.
• Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page.
• Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.
• Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements. 
• Receipt Number for your approved petition as it appears on your Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, or Notice of Action, Form I-797, from USCIS.
• L Visa Applicants – If you are included in an L blanket petition, you must bring Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition, to your interview.

Legal Rights and Protections

H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B visa applicants should read the Legal Rights and Protections pamphlet to learn about your rights in the United States and protection available to you. Review this important pamphlet before applying for your visa.

Additional Documentation May Be Required

Review the instructions on how to apply for a visa on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply. Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified.  
All visa applicants, except H-1B and L, will generally need to show proof of compelling ties to your home country to demonstrate your intent to return after your temporary stay in the United States. Examples of compelling ties include:

• A residence abroad which you do not intend to abandon
• Your family relationships
• Your economic situation
• Your long term plans

Attend your Visa Interview

During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.
Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. They are usually taken during your interview, but this varies based on location.
After your visa interview, your application may require further administrative processing. You will be informed by the consular officer if further processing is necessary for your application.
When the visa is approved, you may pay a visa issuance fee if applicable to your nationality, and will be informed how your passport with visa will be returned to you. Review the visa processing time, to learn how soon your passport with visa will generally be ready for pick-up or delivery by the courier.

Additional Information

• The approval of a petition does not guarantee that you will be issued a visa. Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa.
•  Spouse and Children –
  • With the exception of Cultural Exchange Visitor Q-1 visa applicants, your spouse and unmarried, minor children may also apply for the same visa category as you to accompany or join you. You must be able to show that you will be able to financially support your family in the United States. 
  • For information about employment and study, review Temporary Workers information and Employment Authorization on the USCIS website.
• Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date.  Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid. If you have a valid visa in your expired passport, do not remove it from your expired passport. You may use your valid visa in your expired passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.

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Visitor Visa: USA

Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), tourism, pleasure or visiting (visa category B-2), or a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).
Here are some examples of activities permitted with a visitor visa:

Business (B-1):

• consult with business associates
• attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference
• settle an estate
• negotiate a contract

Learn more about Business Travel on a visitor visa.

Tourism and Visit (B-2):

 

• tourism
• vacation (holiday)
• visit with friends or relatives
• medical treatment
• participation in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations
• participation by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participating
• enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree (for example, a two-day cooking class while on vacation)

Travel Purposes Not Permitted On Visitor Visas:

 

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

• study
• employment
• paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
• arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
• work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
• permanent residence in the United States

How to Apply

There are several steps to apply for a visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you apply. Please consult the instructions available on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website where you will apply.

Complete the Online Visa Application

• Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 – Learn more about completing the DS-160. You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.
• Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. Your photo must be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Schedule an Interview

While interviews are generally not required for applicants of certain ages outlined below, consular officers have the discretion to require an interview of any applicant, regardless of age.

If you are age:	Then an interview is:
13 and younger	Generally not required
14-79	Required (some exceptions for renewals)
80 and older	Generally not required

You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview, generally, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. You may schedule your interview at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate, but be aware that it may be difficult to qualify for a visa outside of your place of permanent residence.
Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa early. Review the interview wait time for the location where you will apply:

Prepare for Your Interview

• Fees - Pay the non-refundable visa application fee, if you are required to pay it before your interview. When your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee, if applicable to your nationality. Fee information is provided below:

 

Review the instructions available on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply to learn more about fee payment.

Gather Required Documentation

Gather and prepare the following required documents before your visa interview:

• Passport valid for travel to the United States - Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person who needs a visa must submit a separate application.
• Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
• Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.
• Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Additional Documentation May Be Required

Review the instructions for how to apply for a visa on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply. Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of:

• The purpose of your trip;
• Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
• Your ability to pay all costs of the trip. 

Evidence of your employment and/or your family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return to your home country. If you cannot cover all the costs for your trip, you may show evidence that another person will cover some or all costs for your trip.

Attend Your Visa Interview

During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.
Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. They are usually taken during your interview, but this varies based on location.
After your visa interview, your application may require further administrative processing. You will be informed by the consular officer if further processing is necessary for your application.
When the visa is approved, you may pay a visa issuance fee if applicable to your nationality, and will be informed how your passport with visa will be returned to you. Review the visa processing time, to learn how soon your passport with visa will generally be ready for pick-up or delivery by the courier.

Additional Information

• Visitors are not permitted to accept employment or work in the United States.
• We cannot guarantee that you will be issued a visa. Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa.
• Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date.  Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid. If you have a valid visa in your expired passport, do not remove it from your expired passport. You may use your valid visa in your expired passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States. 

 

 

 

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8 Tips to Improve Your Yoga Practice

We have unique body and level to which we can bend vary. The good news is that the purpose of including yoga in your daily schedule is – not to achieve the perfect bend, but – to bring the body, breath, and mind together. Gear up with these simple tips and get on the yoga mat with a yogi’s attitude. 
#1 Respect the limits of your own body. Can you bring your nose to touch your knee in Standing forward bend? Some people can bend more than others can. So you bend to your capacity. Love your body and respect the limits of your own body. You need not compare yourself with your neighbor or someone on TV. You don’t have to do exactly what the other person is doing.
The thumb rule is to remain stable and comfortable in the yoga asanas. Neither push too hard and try to overdo things, nor be lazy. Do as much as you can. Comfortably and with stability. 

#2 Use the Yogic smile meter. Do Yoga with a sense of joy. When you overdo a stretch, smile will be the first thing to vanish. If you are not smiling, know that you are not doing something right. Either you are stretching too much or you are not comfortable. Re-adjust your body to get your beautiful smile back. With regular practice, you will find a big improvement. There is no need to be in a hurry, your yoga mat will remain right there. 

#3 Breathe. Take deep long breaths or ujjayi breaths. Ujjayi breaths or long deep breaths help you relax and maintain the posture. Focus on the breath to stretch further. Rest in the yoga pose and feel the stretch.
#4 Respect and honor your yoga practices. Yoga is not just as an exercise but you can experience a deeper connection to yourself and to others with regular yoga practice.
#5 Get the Yogic attitude. Go within. While doing yoga postures, using specific rhythms of the breath links the breath and the body. Keeping the attention on where the stretch is happening; this links the body and mind. The body, breath, and mind come together in harmony during yoga asana. This yogic attitude helps deepen your yoga practice.
#6 Observe. Which hand do you use more often? On which foot do you tend to lean more when you stand? Observe things about your body, especially do you favor one side more than the other?
#7 Meditate. Yoga asanas prepare you for meditation and meditation in turn deepens your yoga practices. Play an Online Guided Meditation and follow the instructions to effortlessly slip into meditation.
#8 Do yoga on the yoga mat and live yoga off the yoga mat. Can you stretch your hand to someone new? Can you remain stable and breathe through the pain in difficult situations (just as you use the breath to stabilize difficult asanas)? Reflect on the 23 hours of life, not just the one hour of yoga practice. That is why yoga is a way of life and not just an exercise.

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All information about student visas for USA

Permissions for students, student visas for Usa, requirements :

Studying in the United States for an immigrant is possible by accessing the F – 1 and M – 1 Visas, for full time studies and academic, technical or vocational programs respectively, been one of the most important requirements the academic grades and the economic reliability.
Visa, F – 1 Visa, M – 1 Visa, SEVIS, Immigration Service.

When a person wishes to study in the United States, he or she must understand that the conditions have changed to access to any academic program imparted by an American educational institution after 9 / 11 of 2001, because the immigration laws established by the American Federal Government require a series of requirements before giving a visa; without it, the student will not be able to start his or her lectures.

The student must research on the courses or programs he or she wants to follow, and additionally confirm if the institutions that impart them (language schools, universities and other educational institutions), are recognized by the North American Government, to accept alien students who develop full time studies.

It is necessary to remember that only are taken into consideration the full time programs and courses, because it is not admitted for students to work (at least during the first year) off the campus.

Identifying the course or program that is going to be studied, the immigrant will present all the solicited requirements, until he or she obtained the acceptance as a student. The fundamental requirements are to present academic grades that proof that the person is a student with the necessary grades to be accepted and, besides, he or she must proof having economic reliability to study without the need of having to work, neither inside nor outside the campus. The acceptance of the school in the program or course, will concrete when it, through the councilor for alien students provides the I – 20 immigration forms.

With the I – 20 form, the foreign students, according to the North American immigration program, to start his or her studies, must process the non – immigrant student visa, for which he or she must choose between the F – 1 full time student visa, intended for those students who have enrolled themselves in college courses or programs, or in full time schools; and the M – 1 Visa for students in vocational non – academic programs, intended for those students who have enrolled themselves in vocational programs or technical courses from non – academic institutions.

It is necessary that every student who wants to migrate to the United States has clear the following points:

• Full time is a minimum of 18 college hours per week.
• Proving that he or she has a house to come back to.
• The time of residency as a student does not count to qualify for a permanent residency or green card.
• The students who have the F – 1 Visa, are able to freely move through the United States, as well as travelling to the exterior whenever they want to, without a time limit.
• The time of procedure of a visa for a student is around 120 days; time that should be taken into consideration, thinking on the date the program or course will begin.
• Any immigrant, with a student visa, can enter the United States until 30 days before the course or program begins. If you wish to enter before of that period, you also need to process a visitor’ visa.
• The student who has a visa can work inside the campus for up to 20 hours a week, after having been authorized by the immigration service.
• The students will only be authorized to work under determined special circumstances that must have occurred their country of origin, which does not allow them to be able of economically sustaining themselves.
• The student’s visa can be lost if he or she does not assist to the course at full time, if he or she does not pay the enrollment or if is expelled for having low grades; for these matters, he or she might even be deported.
• The immigration service has certain level of control over the alien students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information (SEVIS), which is permanently receiving notifications of the educational institutions about variations in the conditions of the students with a visa.
• A student with a visa provided by the North American Government can study courses of less than 18 hours a week, if the number of hours exceeds the 18 hours, he or she is forced to change his or her visa into a student’s one.

Summing up, every immigrant who is applying for an American visa must be aware of the type of visa he or she is requesting, and the rights and commitments he or she has to fulfill, under the risk of losing it. There are certain restrictions on attending public school in the US Persons who violate these restrictions may not receive another visa for a period of five years.

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