USA Student Visa (F-1) for Indian Students: Fees, Documents, Interview and Process (2026)
US F-1 student visa 2026 for Indians: $185 visa fee + $350 SEVIS fee (about ₹51,000), I-20, DS-160, in-person interview, 30-day entry rule and wait times.
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Free checklist for Indian students
The US student visa for a degree course is the F-1. From India it costs $185 in visa application fee plus the $350 SEVIS I-901 fee, about ₹51,000 in total, and every applicant now attends an in-person interview at the New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata post. You need a Form I-20 from a SEVP-certified school, proof you can pay the first year of tuition and living costs, and the visa can be issued up to 365 days before your course starts, though you may enter the US only in the 30 days before the start date.
What is the F-1 visa and who needs it?
The F-1 is the US nonimmigrant visa for full-time academic study at a university, college, high school, seminary, conservatory or language school. Vocational and non-academic courses use the M-1. Indian citizens need one of the two for any course that leads to a US degree or certificate; you cannot study on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa except for short recreational classes, and you cannot switch to a degree course after arriving as a tourist without a separate change-of-status application to USCIS that can take months.
The sequence is fixed by the Department of State: get admitted to a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), receive your Form I-20 and SEVIS ID, pay the I-901 SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 online, pay the $185 visa fee, book and attend the interview, and travel with the visa foil in your passport plus the I-20. The visa lets you present yourself at a US airport; the Customs and Border Protection officer admits you and issues an electronic Form I-94 that records your status.
India sends more students to the US than any other country, so the five Indian posts run some of the busiest F-1 seasons in the world between May and August. The consular officer decides in a few minutes, on the basis of your file and your answers, whether you are a genuine student with the money to pay and the intent to comply with the visa. Most refusals are under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which means the officer was not convinced on one of those points; you can reapply, but you pay the fee again.
How much does a US student visa cost from India in 2026?
Two government fees are unavoidable: the visa application fee collected by the Department of State and the SEVIS I-901 fee collected by ICE. The rest depends on your school and on whether you file anything with USCIS later. A "visa integrity fee" was legislated in 2025 but did not appear on the State Department fee schedule when we checked on 26 September 2026; confirm the fee page before you pay.
| Item | Amount (USD) | Approx. INR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa application fee (MRV), F-1 | $185 | ₹17,700 | Paid on the India visa scheduling portal before booking; check the linked State Department fee page for refund and validity terms |
| SEVIS I-901 fee, F-1 / M-1 | $350 | ₹33,500 | Paid on fmjfee.com with the SEVIS ID from your I-20; keep the receipt for the interview |
| SEVIS I-901 fee, J-1 (Fulbright and exchange students) | $220 | ₹21,100 | Government-sponsored J-1 exchanges pay no visa application fee |
| Total government fees for one F-1 applicant | $535 | ₹51,200 | Before travel to the consulate, photo and courier costs |
| F-2 dependant visa (spouse or child) | $185 each | ₹17,700 each | Dependants need their own I-20 but pay no SEVIS fee |
| Form I-539 change or extension of status (inside the US) | $470 paper / $420 online | ₹45,000 / ₹40,200 | Only if you switch from another status to F-1 in the US, or reinstate |
| Form I-765 work authorisation (OPT, later) | $520 paper / $470 online | ₹49,800 / ₹45,000 | Not a visa cost, but budget for it in your final year |
| Proof-of-funds shortfall | Depends on I-20 | — | The I-20 states the cost of attendance you must show; there is no fixed federal amount |
Sources: US Department of State fee page and student visa page; ICE I-901 page; USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (edition 09/09/26), all read 26 Sep 2026. $1 = ₹95.8 (Wise mid-market, 26 Sep 2026).
How much money do you need to show for a US student visa?
Unlike the UK or Australia, the US has no single published maintenance figure. Your school's designated school official (DSO) must see evidence that you can cover tuition, fees and living costs for at least the first year before issuing the I-20, and the I-20 prints that estimated cost of attendance. The consular officer then checks the same evidence at the interview. The table shows what the published 2026-27 cost of attendance looks like at three kinds of school, so you can see the size of the number that will appear on your I-20.
| Example school and level (2026-27) | Tuition and fees | Housing and food | Approx. total to show (USD → INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University, international undergraduate (base programme) | $32,104 | $16,734 | ≈ $52,700 (≈ ₹50.5 lakh) including books, transport and miscellaneous expenses |
| Purdue University, international graduate (engineering/CS differential) | $30,318 | $16,734 | ≈ $50,900 (≈ ₹48.8 lakh) including estimated expenses |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, international undergraduate | $42,248–$53,078 | $15,858 | $62,146–$72,976 (≈ ₹60–70 lakh) |
| Wharton MBA, first year | $93,008 | $30,545 | $135,441 (≈ ₹1.3 crore) |
Sources: Purdue Bursar 2026-27 undergraduate and graduate fee tables; Illinois admissions cost page 2026-27; Wharton MBA tuition page 2026-27, all read 26 Sep 2026. Your I-20 figure is the one that counts. $1 = ₹95.8.
Which financial documents do the DSO and the consular officer accept from Indian applicants?
Study in the States lists the acceptable evidence; schools may add their own rules, and consular officers can ask for anything that explains where the money comes from. Liquid, traceable funds in the family's name are what works.
- Bank statements or balance certificates for savings and current accounts held by you or your parents, ideally covering several months so that large recent deposits can be explained.
- Fixed deposits, provident fund balances that can be withdrawn, and other liquid savings. Officers routinely discount property, gold and shares because they cannot be spent on a tuition bill next month.
- An education loan sanction letter from a bank or NBFC. Indian lenders sanction before the I-20 is issued: SBI, for example, states that its Global Ed-Vantage scheme sanctions and disburses prior to the I-20 and visa, lends above ₹7.5 lakh up to ₹3 crore, and is collateral-free up to ₹50 lakh for select institutions. Collateral-backed loans from public-sector banks and non-collateral loans from NBFCs and US-based lenders are both accepted as evidence.
- A scholarship, assistantship or tuition-waiver letter from the university. For funded PhD and MS students this is often the main document.
- A sponsor letter and the sponsor's salary certificate or income-tax returns if a parent or relative is paying. The Affidavit of Support is not a State Department requirement for F-1, but many schools ask for a signed sponsor declaration.
- Remittance: tuition is sent under the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which allows USD 250,000 per financial year per resident and lists studies abroad as a permitted purpose. Tax collected at source on forex may apply and differs for loan-funded transfers, so check the current rate with your bank before wiring the deposit.
How to apply for a US student visa from India: step by step
You can be issued the visa up to 365 days before the programme start date on your I-20, so for a Fall (August) intake you can interview from the previous autumn. Indian students usually interview between May and July because I-20s arrive in March–May; that is also when appointments are tightest.
Get admitted and receive your Form I-20
Accept the offer, submit the financial documents your school asks for, and the DSO issues the I-20 with your SEVIS ID (starting N00). Check the programme dates, the funding figures and the spelling of your name against your passport. Dependants each need their own I-20.
Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee
Pay $350 on fmjfee.com by card, using the SEVIS ID and school code printed on the I-20. Print the payment confirmation; the consulate and the port of entry can both ask for it. ICE says the payment does not have to be completed until you appear for the interview, but allow at least three business days for it to be received and verified, so pay well before the interview.
Complete the DS-160
The online nonimmigrant visa application asks for your travel history, education, employment, family details and every social media identifier you have used in the last five years. Upload a compliant photo, submit, and print the confirmation page with the barcode. Errors here are hard to fix later.
Pay the $185 fee and book two appointments
Create a profile on the India visa scheduling portal run for the US Mission, pay the MRV fee (by bank or online transfer in rupees at the consular rate), then book a Visa Application Centre appointment for fingerprints and photo and a consular interview appointment at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata. Choose the post by availability; you do not have to use the one nearest your home.
Set your social media profiles to public
The US Mission in India instructs all F, M and J applicants to adjust the privacy settings on all social media accounts to public so that identity and admissibility can be vetted. Do this before the interview and keep the handles consistent with your DS-160.
Attend the biometrics appointment
Bring your passport, DS-160 confirmation and appointment letter. The VAC takes fingerprints and a photograph; this visit is administrative and no decision is made.
Attend the consular interview
Bring your passport, DS-160 confirmation, I-20 signed by you, SEVIS fee receipt, MRV receipt, academic transcripts and degree certificates, standardised test scores, and the financial evidence. Interviews are short. Officers focus on why this course and this school, how you will pay, and what you plan to do after graduating. Answer directly and consistently with your documents.
Wait for the passport
If approved, the passport with the visa foil is returned by courier or collected from the pickup location, usually within a few working days. Some cases are placed in administrative processing, which can take weeks; you cannot speed this up. If refused under 214(b), the officer returns your passport and you may reapply with a new fee when your circumstances have changed.
Travel and enter the US
You may enter no more than 30 days before the programme start date. Carry the I-20, SEVIS receipt and financial documents in hand luggage. At the port of entry the CBP officer admits you and creates an electronic I-94; download it from the CBP I-94 site after arrival and check that it shows F-1 and "D/S" or the correct admit-until date.
USA student visa requirements for Indian students: the document checklist
- Passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay, with older passports if they hold previous US or other visas.
- Form I-20 issued by an SEVP-certified school and signed by you (and a parent if you are under 18).
- SEVIS I-901 payment confirmation ($350) and the MRV fee receipt ($185).
- DS-160 confirmation page and the appointment confirmation.
- Academic records: 10th and 12th marksheets, semester-wise bachelor's marksheets and degree or provisional certificate for graduate applicants.
- Test scores the school relied on: GRE or GMAT where required, and TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE unless the school waived English testing.
- Financial evidence covering at least the first-year cost of attendance on the I-20: bank statements, FD receipts, loan sanction letter, scholarship or assistantship letter, sponsor income proof.
- For dependants: marriage certificate, children's birth certificates, and each dependant's own I-20.
- Optional but useful: admission letter, CV, a short list of the schools you applied to, and evidence of ties to India such as family business documents or property papers.
How long does a US student visa take from India, and when should you apply?
The State Department publishes the next available F, M and J interview appointment for each post monthly. On 17 September 2026 the figures were under half a month in Chennai, 1.5 months in Hyderabad, 2 months in New Delhi and Kolkata, and 2.5 months in Mumbai. Consulates release extra slots regularly and let you move your appointment earlier, so students who book any slot and then keep checking usually interview sooner than the headline number.
Since 1 October 2025 the interview waiver route is closed to almost everyone, including students renewing an F-1: all nonimmigrant applicants other than diplomats, certain officials, and eligible B-1/B-2 and H-2A renewals must attend in person. Plan on one trip for biometrics and one for the interview, or both on consecutive days at the same city.
For a Fall 2027 start, aim to hold your I-20 by April 2027 and interview in May or June. That leaves room for administrative processing and for a second attempt if the first application is refused. January (Spring) intake students should interview in October–November.
Can you bring your spouse or children on an F-2 visa?
Yes. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany an F-1 student as F-2 dependants. Tell your DSO when you accept the offer so that each dependant gets an individual Form I-20; they then complete their own DS-160, pay the $185 visa fee each (there is no SEVIS fee for dependants) and usually interview with you. You will need to show additional funds for their living costs on top of your own cost of attendance.
The restrictions are strict. F-2 dependants may not work at all. An F-2 spouse may study only part time (less than a full course of study) at an SEVP-certified school; to study full time they must change to F-1 status by filing Form I-539 ($470 paper, $420 online) or apply for their own F-1 visa. F-2 children may attend school full time. Many Indian couples therefore plan for the spouse to apply for their own F-1 or to join later as an H-4 dependant once the graduate moves to an H-1B.
What can you do on an F-1 visa, and what is not allowed?
You must maintain a full course of study every term, keep your address current with your DSO, and keep your I-20 valid. On-campus employment is allowed from up to 30 days before classes start, limited to 20 hours a week while school is in session and full time in official breaks. Off-campus work is not permitted in the first academic year; after that it must be authorised as Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), the 24-month STEM OPT extension, or severe economic hardship employment approved by USCIS. Unauthorised work ends your status.
After your programme end date you have 60 days to leave the US, transfer to another SEVP school, start a new programme, or move to another status. Students who apply for post-completion OPT can stay and work for 12 months, and 36 months in total with the STEM extension. Historically F-1 students have been admitted for "duration of status" (D/S) rather than a fixed date. DHS published a final rule on 17 July 2026 to replace D/S with a fixed admission of up to four years plus 30 days before and after, effective 15 September 2026, but a federal court in Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on 14 September 2026 and the rule is on hold while litigation continues. Check your I-94 after every entry and follow your DSO's guidance, because this could change during your course.
Why US student visas from India get refused
Frequently asked questions
What is the US student visa fee for Indian students in 2026?
The F-1 visa application (MRV) fee is $185, about ₹17,700, paid on the India visa scheduling portal. Separately, the SEVIS I-901 fee is $350, about ₹33,500, paid on fmjfee.com before the interview. Together that is $535, roughly ₹51,000, per student. F-2 dependants pay $185 each but no SEVIS fee.
How much bank balance is required for a US student visa?
There is no fixed federal amount. You must show funds covering at least the first year's cost of attendance printed on your Form I-20, which at a public university such as Purdue is about $50,900–$52,700 (≈ ₹48.8–50.5 lakh) for tuition, fees, housing, food and estimated expenses in 2026-27, and more at private universities. Bank statements, fixed deposits, loan sanction letters and scholarship letters all count.
Is an interview compulsory for the F-1 visa?
Yes. Since 1 October 2025 the State Department requires an in-person interview for almost all nonimmigrant visa applicants, including students renewing an F-1. The only broad exceptions are diplomatic and official categories and certain B-1/B-2 and H-2A renewals. You attend a biometrics appointment at a Visa Application Centre and then the consular interview.
How early can I get my US student visa and when can I travel?
A new student's F-1 visa can be issued up to 365 days before the programme start date on the I-20. You may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before that start date. Continuing students with a valid I-20 can be issued a visa at any time and may enter whenever they like before classes resume.
What is the current US student visa appointment wait time in India?
On 17 September 2026 the State Department listed the next available F, M and J interview as under half a month in Chennai, 1.5 months in Hyderabad, 2 months in New Delhi and Kolkata, and 2.5 months in Mumbai. Slots are added regularly and you can move an existing appointment earlier, so real waits are often shorter.
Is IELTS or TOEFL required for a US student visa?
No English test is a visa requirement. The consular officer checks that you can follow the interview in English and that your school admitted you. Whether you need TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE, or qualify for a medium-of-instruction waiver, is decided by each university; UT Dallas, for example, treats India as an English-speaking country for admission purposes.
Can I work in the USA on an F-1 student visa?
Yes, within limits. On campus you can work up to 20 hours a week while school is in session and full time during breaks, starting up to 30 days before classes. Off-campus work is not allowed in the first academic year and afterwards needs CPT, OPT or hardship authorisation. Post-completion OPT gives 12 months of work, extendable by 24 months for STEM degrees.
Can I take my spouse on a US student visa?
Yes, as an F-2 dependant with their own I-20 and a $185 visa fee, but F-2 spouses cannot work and can only study part time unless they change to F-1 status. Children under 21 can attend school full time. You must show extra funds for dependants on top of your own cost of attendance.
What happens if my US student visa is refused under 214(b)?
A 214(b) refusal means the officer was not satisfied that you qualify as a genuine, funded student; it is not a permanent bar. You can reapply at any time by paying the $185 fee again and booking a new interview, but you should only do so with materially stronger evidence or a clearer explanation, because the previous refusal is on record.
Has the US replaced "duration of status" with a fixed period for F-1 students?
Not yet in practice. DHS published a final rule on 17 July 2026 to admit F-1 students for a fixed period of up to four years plus 30 days either side, effective 15 September 2026, but a federal court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on 14 September 2026, so students continue to be admitted for duration of status while the case proceeds. Check with your DSO before travelling.
Official sources used on this page
- US Department of State — Student Visa (F and M): how to apply, fee, entry rules — US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs · checked 26 September 2026
- US Department of State — Fees for visa services — US Department of State · checked 26 September 2026
- US Department of State — Global visa wait times (updated 17 Sep 2026) — US Department of State · checked 26 September 2026
- US Department of State — Interview waiver update, 18 Sep 2025 (effective 1 Oct 2025) — US Department of State · checked 26 September 2026
- US Embassy and Consulates in India — Visas (social media setting notice, posts) — US Embassy New Delhi · checked 26 September 2026
- ICE SEVP — I-901 SEVIS fee amounts and payment — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement · checked 26 September 2026
- Study in the States — Financial ability (evidence for the I-20 and visa) — US Department of Homeland Security · checked 26 September 2026
- Study in the States — Maintaining status (30-day entry, 60-day departure) — US Department of Homeland Security · checked 26 September 2026
- Study in the States — Working in the United States (on-campus 20-hour rule) — US Department of Homeland Security · checked 26 September 2026
- Study in the States — Bringing dependents to the United States (F-2 rules) — US Department of Homeland Security · checked 26 September 2026
- Study in the States — Fixed period of admission final rule FAQ (published 17 Jul 2026) — US Department of Homeland Security · checked 26 September 2026
- Ohio State University OIA — Duration of Status final rule and 14 Sep 2026 preliminary injunction — The Ohio State University · checked 26 September 2026
- USCIS — Students and employment (no off-campus work in the first academic year) — US Citizenship and Immigration Services · checked 26 September 2026
- USCIS — Fee schedule G-1055 (edition 09/09/26): I-539, I-765 — US Citizenship and Immigration Services · checked 26 September 2026
- CBP — Form I-94 arrival/departure record — US Customs and Border Protection · checked 26 September 2026
- Wise — USD to INR mid-market rate — Wise · checked 26 September 2026
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