What is the F1 visa?
The F1 is the United States' primary academic student visa, issued to applicants enrolled full-time at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school. It covers everything from undergraduate and master's degrees to language training programs, and it's tied throughout your studies to your SEVIS record and your school's Designated School Official (DSO).
Unlike a simple tourist visa, the F1 process runs through three separate systems that all have to line up: your school's SEVIS record, the State Department's DS-160 online application, and, for almost everyone now, an in-person consular interview.
The F1 visa process, step by step
Get your Form I-20
Your school issues this once you accept an offer and show proof of funds. It carries your SEVIS ID number, which you'll need for every step that follows.
Pay the SEVIS (I-901) fee
Pay $350 at FMJfee.com using your SEVIS ID, and keep the printed receipt — you'll need to bring it to your interview.
Complete the DS-160 online
Fill out the DS-160 form, upload your photo, and disclose your social media handles from the past five years. Pay the $185 MRV visa application fee.
Schedule your interview
Book your appointment at the U.S. Embassy or a Consulate. Given current wait times, we recommend booking 4–6 months ahead of your intake, not 2–3.
Attend the interview
Bring your I-20, DS-160 confirmation, SEVIS receipt, and financial documents. The officer decides on the spot in most cases.
The interview waiver is gone — what changed
Effective September 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of State discontinued the interview waiver ("Dropbox") programme for F1 applicants. Nearly every applicant — first-time students, renewals, even children and seniors — must now attend an in-person interview at the Embassy or a Consulate.
This has stretched appointment wait times noticeably at Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh's regional consulates, and elsewhere. If you were planning to rely on renewing without an interview because you'd done it before, that option is no longer available for almost anyone.
What this means for you: book your interview slot as soon as your DS-160 is filed and your SEVIS fee is paid — don't wait until closer to your intake date.
Social media vetting — what it actually involves
Since mid-2025, the State Department also conducts an online presence review for all F, M, and J visa applicants. You must list every social media platform and username you've used over the past five years on your DS-160, and you're instructed to set those profiles to public.
This is a disclosure and consistency check, not an automatic disqualifier. Officers are checking that your online presence matches the rest of your application — your stated background, your ties to India, your intent to study — not searching for reasons to refuse you. Don't mass-delete old content right before applying; an account that looks scrubbed just before a visa application can itself raise questions.
Document checklist
- Form I-20, signed by you and your school, with your SEVIS ID
- DS-160 confirmation page and the photo uploaded to the online form
- SEVIS (I-901) fee receipt — printed proof of payment from FMJfee.com
- Valid passport, and any older passports with U.S. visa history
- Financial evidence matching the funding shown on your I-20 — bank statements, loan sanction letters, or sponsor documents
- Academic documents — transcripts, degree certificates, and standardized test scores
F1 visa fees from India
Note: the $350 SEVIS fee is a one-time payment per SEVIS record — you don't pay it again for renewals within 12 months or for continuing the same program. There is no separate F1 fee resembling the $100,000 H-1B petition fee that applies to employer-filed H-1B cases.
After your visa: OPT and STEM OPT
Once you're studying, most F1 students eventually use Optional Practical Training (OPT) — up to 12 months of work authorization in your field of study, available once during your degree and again after graduating. STEM degree graduates can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension on top of that, for up to 36 months of total work authorization tied to one degree.
Common reasons F1 visas get refused
Most F1 refusals cite Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act — the officer wasn't convinced you have sufficiently strong ties to India to return after your studies. This is rarely about any single document; it's about whether your overall story (academic background, financial position, family and career ties, and your answers in the interview) holds together consistently.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Effective September 2, 2025, the State Department eliminated the Dropbox interview waiver programme for F1 applicants. Nearly all applicants, including renewals, must attend an in-person interview.
You must list the social media platforms and usernames you've used over the past five years on your DS-160 and set your profiles to public. It's a disclosure and consistency check for the vast majority of applicants, not an automatic red flag.
No. That fee applies only to new H-1B petitions filed by employers on or after September 21, 2025. It has no connection to F1 student visa applications, SEVIS fees, or DS-160 costs.
The minimum government fees are $535 — a $350 SEVIS (I-901) fee plus a $185 DS-160 visa application fee. Depending on nationality, an additional visa issuance (reciprocity) fee may apply.