Students Home Page

For International Students Outside the United States

This school is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant international students.

Obtaining a Visa
The first months in the United States will be much more enjoyable and your educational experience at the New School more fulfilling, if you plan ahead. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents (green card holders) should apply  for immigration documents to enter the United States as soon as they are accepted. The application process can take 90 days or longer.

Getting Your I-20 or DS-2019 Forms

After you receive your letter of acceptance or appointment, there are many things you have to do before you can leave home. With your letter of acceptance to The New School, you will receive a URL for a website where you can request official confirmation of your admission to study at The New School. Complete the appropriate application online and submit it to The New School as instructed. International Student Services will then issue your form I-20 or DS-2019, which you need to apply for an F–1 Student or J–1 Exchange Visitor visa.

Visa Application Process

Visit a U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country and apply for an F–1 Student or J–1 Exchange Visitor visa to enter the United States. The application process varies from country to country and can take from one day to many weeks for processing, so please plan ahead. You must take the following documents with you to the consulate or embassy:

  • Signed and dated original Form I-20 or DS-2019
  • Original letter of acceptance from The New School
  • Valid passport
  • Original or certified copies of financial documents (with translations, if needed)
  • Recent passport-size photograph
  • Proof of ties to your home country (This is critical for a successful visa application; see below for more information.)
  • Proof of SEVIS fee payment, if necessary (See SEVIS fee section below.)

You must present original visa interview documents to the U.S. immigration official when you arrive in the U.S. Never put these and other travel documents in your checked luggage.

Citizens of Canada or the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda

Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not need visas to enter the United States, but they do need the Form I-20 or DS-2019. They must also pay the SEVIS fee prior to arrival in the U.S. At the U.S. port of entry, they must present proof of both identity and citizenship. Since January 1, 2008, Canadians have been required to have a valid passport to enter the U.S. They will be issued an I-94 card and corresponding status. Refer to the visa application checklist above to prepare for interviews at the port of entry. See more detailed information online.

Citizens of Canada traveling to the U.S. do not require a non-immigrant visa except for the purposes described below.

  • Foreign government officials (A), officials and employees of international organizations (G) and NATO officials, representatives and employees assigned to the U.S. as needed to facilitate their travel
  • Treaty traders (E-1)
  • Treaty investors (E-2)
  • Fiancé/es (K-1)
  • Children of fiancées (K-2)
  • U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3)
  • Children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above
  • Spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process
  • Children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above
  • Permanent residents (a/k/a landed immigrants) of Canada must have a non-immigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less under that program.

The SEVIS Fee

If you are a non-immigrant alien entering the United States under a student status, the U.S. government requires you to pay the SEVIS fee. At the time this Web page was updated, the F-1 SEVIS fee was $200 and the J-1 SEVIS fee was $180. These fees are subject to change. Citizens of all countries entering the United States as students must pay the SEVIS fee, including citizens of Canada and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, who must pay the SEVIS fee before they arrive in the U.S. The SEVIS fee is payable online by credit or debit card or by international money order or by a check drawn on a financial institution in the United States and payable in United States currency. Be sure to pay the SEVIS fee before you enter the U.S. or visit a U.S. consulate or embassy to apply for a visa. To learn more about the SEVIS fee and to pay and/or print out a receipt of payment online, visit www.fmjfee.com.

Proving Your Ties to Your Home Country

Ties to your home country are facts that give you strong reason to return from the United States after you have finished your studies. Anyone applying to enter the U.S. to attend school must be able to show strong ties to their home country with official documents. For example

  • If your family owns a business, bring letters from the bank describing the business and/or documents showing that the business is registered and truly owned by your family.
  • If your family owns property, bring deeds or or other documents proving ownership.
  • If a sister or brother studied in the U.S. and then returned home, bring a copy of her or his diploma and/or a statement from his or her present employer.
  • If you and your family have previously visited the U.S., bring your passport—even old ones—to demonstrate that you have been issued visas in the past and made visits and, after every visit to the U.S., you returned to your home country.
  • If you belong to a professional organization in your home country, bring proof of your membership.
  • If you have the prospect of a job in your home country, get a letter from the company stating that you will be considered for a job upon your return, or at least they often hire people with the kind of education you are seeking.

The purpose of all this documentation is to show your intent to return home after you complete your studies in the U.S.

Basic Concepts: Primary Purpose

When nationals of other countries wish to visit the United States, U.S. immigration authorities require them to declare the primary purpose for the visit. That declaration is made twice: once at the time of applying for a visa and again at the port of entry when applying for entry status. There is a unique visa and a corresponding status for every primary purpose identified by the U.S. government.

If your primary purpose for visiting the U.S. is not to study, then do NOT apply for a student visa or student status. Always apply for the visa and corresponding status that best identifies your primary purpose for entering the United States.

Visa and Status: Know The Difference

Visa: A visa is official authorization affixed to a valid passport that allows entry into the United States.

  • Think of your visa as a key. Once in the U.S., you will no longer need your visa until the next time you wish to enter the country. Like a key, you only use your visa to "open the door" and enter a secure space. Once in, you do not use your key until you leave and need to reenter.
  • You can only apply for a visa from outside the United States. If you are in the United States and wish to apply for a student visa, you must return to your home country to make the application.
  • At a U.S. port of entry (such as an airport) you must present your visa to an officer from the Department of Homeland Security. By presenting your visa, you are applying for a specific I-94 (non-immigrant) status, which is determined by your type of visa.

Status: All non-immigrants are assigned an I–94 status upon entry to the United States.

  • When you enter the U.S., expect a Department of Homeland Security officer to staple a small white card into your passport. This is  the I–94 Arrival/Departure Record. The I–94 card is documentary evidence of your non-immigrant status assigned based on your visa type.
  • Remember that both visas and I–94 statuses are specific to the primary purpose of your visit. The type of visa you hold will determine the type of status you receive. Your I–94 status determines which rules you must follow while you are in the U.S.