© Pexels.com
To realize your desire to study abroad, one of the documents you must have is a student visa.
Without these documents, you cannot enter your destination country at all.
Before you find it difficult to study abroad because of the visa block, yuck, find out more about it and how to get it!
What is a student visa?
A student visa is a special document added to a passport. This document is issued by the government of a country to students who are enrolled in an educational institution and qualify in that country.This visa is mandatory for any student from abroad who will study in a country and can be a non-immigrant visa.
Therefore, the holder is not required to be of the nationality of that country.
The requirements for obtaining this visa may vary depending on the policies of each country.
Most countries require applicants for this visa to first obtain a letter of acceptance from the intended educational institution.
Not only that, most states also require their applicants to attach a letter of sponsorship explaining the applicant’s financial guarantees during their stay in the country.
The duration of this visa also varies, depending on government policy. Most countries set the validity period of this visa at two to five years.
Therefore, you should update your visa immediately if your study period exceeds the validity period of your visa.
Steps to obtaining a student visa
1. Find out the conditions for obtaining a visa
As explained earlier, each country has its own requirements for obtaining a visa.Therefore, the first step to applying for this visa is to complete its requirements.
The documents required to apply for a student visa are as follows:
- Personal identity documents such as KTP, Family Card, and birth certificate
- Passport for Visa Applicants
- Proof of financial guarantee, such as a letter of sponsorship and/or a photocopy of the savings book
Supporting documents such as a letter of acceptance from an educational institution
If you want to study in the United States, the U.S. immigration authorities require you to attach one of the following documents:
- Certificate of Qualification for Nonimmigrants (F-1) Student Status for Academic and Language Students
- Certificate of Qualification for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status for High School Students
- If you are going to study in the UK through the official UK immigration website, you must attach a letter of tuberculosis test results.
Gather all these documents in one folder to facilitate your visa application process.
2. Payment of Student Visa
The next step to obtaining a student visa is to pay the tuition fee.These submission fees vary according to the country’s provisions, for example:
- Students who will study in the UK will be charged an application fee of 348 pounds sterling, or around Rp6.8 million.
- Students who will study in the United States will be charged $160, or around Rp2.2 million.
- The expenses must be paid to the embassy.
3. Send the visa document
Once the fee has been paid, send the visa application documents together with proof of payment to the country’s embassy.It is advisable to send these submission documents immediately, at least six months before your departure to your destination country.
So, if there are any additional documents or information needed by the officer, you can send it immediately.
4. Prepare for the interview
Some countries require student visa applicants to follow the interview process. For that, prepare yourself to answer the various questions that the officer will ask.This interview was conducted to obtain more information about the applicant. The common questions asked by officers in this interview covered the following topics:
- The Study Plan
- university or educational institution to which it is addressed.
- Academic ability
- Financial status
- The Study Plan
5. Waiting for the embassy
After following all the necessary processes in the application of a student visa, the next step is to wait for the decision of the country’s embassy itself.The waiting time for this decision ranges from seven to thirty working days. During this time, the officer will check the documents and other information you provide.
Once the documents and information are verified and meet the standards of the country, you will get a student visa.