SEVIS fee, Visa, and Immigration
Once you have submitted all necessary information and have been accepted, your file will be sent to the Office of the International Advisor. This office will prepare an I-20 that you will need in order to receive your F-1 visa. Your acceptance letter and student I-20 will be mailed to the address shown on your application. If you will be transferring from another U.S. school, please see the section on F-1 Student Transfer Instructions
Click here for F-1 Student School Transfer Certification Form.
Once you receive your I-20, you will need to take your documents to the nearest U.S. embassy to apply for a visa. Starting on September 24, 2008, students will need to pay a new SEVIS fee of $200 in order to get the Visa. For students who are not required to have visas, the SEVIS fee will still need to be paid, prior to arriving at the border. If you are subject to this fee and do not pay it, you will not be issued an F immigration visa for admission to the U.S. If you are in the U.S. applying for a change of status and are subject to the fee, you must pay the fee or your application will not be processed. The online completion site is available at www.fmjfee.com. The site is used to pay the SEVIS fee required for F-1 students either online with a credit card or through the mail by a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. currency. Selected exchange visitor program sponsors can also submit a bulk payment for groups of prospective exchange visitors by registering for a bulk filer option. You may go to the SEVIS website at www.ice.gov/sevis for details on this procedure and review the I-901 Fee Frequently Asked Questions. That site also contains a link to the PDF version of Form I-901. After receiving your student visa, make sure you have all of the required documents before arriving at the port of entry.
William Woods University requires all international students to carry medical insurance. Upon arrival, students will be given application and information for purchasing this coverage.