Visas

Do I need a visa to study with Embassy ?

That depends on your nationality or country of residence, and the country you wish to study in, as well as how long you will be staying.

For in-depth and up-to-date information, you should contact the embassy of the country you wish to visit. The embassy websites listed below will tell you the basics, and provide contact details for those who want to make specific enquiries. Some of them allow you to apply for a visa online, and some provide application forms to print out. Others will tell you where you need to go to obtain application forms.

Issues affecting students applying to the USA

Visa application

The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service recommends that all students should contact the US Embassy or Consulate in their country 90 days in advance of their arrival in the USA. This is to ensure that enough time is available to obtain the required visa.

Embassy strongly recommends that prospective students take this into account when applying to study at one of our US centres. If you wish to study with us and need any help or advice regarding US visa application procedures, please contact us.

I-20 form

The I-20 form is a document which proves that you have been offered a place at a language school, and have enough funds to support yourself during your time in the USA. You need the I-20 form when you apply for a Student Visa for the USA.

We require a deposit of at least USD 1,000 towards the costs of your course before we will provide the I-20 form. This is to ensure that we only provide the document to genuine students. We also need to see a copy of a current bank statement as proof that you can support yourself. Once we have received these two items, and your application for the course, we can issue the I-20.

Sevis fee

The Sevis fee is paid to the US Department of Homeland Security. It is required of all foreign nationals coming to the USA to study, except those arriving under the visa waiver program or on a Tourist Visa.

It affects students with I-20 documents issued on or after September 1st 2004, who will be required to pay the USD 100 fee before applying for a visa. The Sevis fee is separate from and in addition to any visa application fees.

The Sevis fee must be paid via the internet or by mail. It can not be paid at a US embassy or consulate and it can not be paid at port of entry. Once paid, the Sevis fee is not refundable, even if a visa is denied.

Students can pay the fee by one of two means:

Online

• Complete the form I-901 at the FMJ Fee website and supply the necessary Visa, MasterCard or American Express information. Your name must be typed exactly as it is appears on the I-20 form.
• Print a copy of the online receipt.

By post

• Either download and print out the form I-901 from the FMJ Fee website or request it by phone at 1-800-870-3676. Alternatively, contact us and request a copy.
• Complete the form, writing the name exactly as it appears on your I-20.
  Send a cheque, international money order or foreign draft (US bank only) for USD 100 made payable to "The Department of Homeland Security".
• Mail the form and payment to the address on the form.
• A Form I-797 receipt notice will be mailed back within 3 days of processing the fee.
  Students will not be given a visa interview unless they have paid the fee. This is shown by taking the receipt to the interview. Embassies / consulates will be able to verify the fee payment without a receipt in most cases if the fee is paid far enough in advance of the interview (they suggest more than 3 days).

More information on this fee and on other US immigration issues can be found on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.

Issues affecting non-EU students applying to the EU

Students from outside the EU applying for a General Student Visa will be given a CAS number (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies number). The UK Border Agency need this number to find out more about you, and we charge £10 to cover the cost of obtaining this.

After we have received the CAS number from the Border Agency, we will send you a CAS statement which will contain your number. It can take up to 48 hours to receive the number but it is usually quicker than this. Also, in emergency cases when the student has their visa meeting the same or next day, we can request the CAS number to be issued immediately.

However, please note that this does not apply to students enrolling on courses for less than 26 weeks: you will need to apply for a Student Visitor Visa in this case. If you are unsure about what type of Visa you will need to apply for, please contact us or contact the Embassy of the country where you will be studying.

These links will take you to the website of each country's embassy. Clicking on these links will take you out of the Embassy site. Links will open in a new window.

Australia
New Zealand
England
Ireland
USA

Students travelling to England on a student visa

The UK Border Agency International Group has created this useful video (below): you can also view it in several other languages here.

For advice on all aspects of booking your course, including basic visa information, just ask. We are happy to help as best we can, although the most up-to-date information will come from the country's embassy. Our Student enrolment advisors have plenty of experience and can guide you in your application.