The ELI welcomes students from all over the world. While most of our students are F-1, we also have students that are F-2, J-1, B1/2, R-1, Permanent Residents, and even U.S. Citizens. However, the type of visa an applicant has determines if they can study full-time or part-time. See the chart below:

F-1 Student Visa Full-time study REQUIRED
F-2 Dependent of F-1 Part-time study only – up to 16 hours/week
J-1 Exchange Visitor / Au Pair Part-time study only – up to 14 hours/week
J-2 Dependent of J-1 Full-time or Part-time allowed
B1/2 Tourist / Visa Waiver Part-time study only – up to 12 hours/week
H-1 Work Visa Part-time study only – up to 12 hours/week
H-4 Dependent of H-1 Full-time or Part-time allowed
R-1 Religious Visitor Full-time or Part-time allowed
K-1 Fiancee Visa Full-time or Part-time allowed
  Permanent Resident, US Citizen Full-time or Part-time allowed

The ELI administrative team is here to help you navigate the process of applying for a student visa. We also help students who have questions about transferring in/out of the program, I-20 extensions, and change of status requests. This page provides some basic information as well as links to websites where detailed guidance can be found.

Information for F-1 Visa Applicants

Once you have completed your application to the ELI, you will receive two very important documents from us: Your acceptance letter, and your SEVIS I-20 document (“Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student Status – For Academic and Language Students).

In order to continue with the F-1 visa application process, you need to do the following things:

1. Pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee online.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is an internet-based system that provides tracking, monitoring and access to current information on non-immigrant students. It enables schools to issue I-20s and to transmit electronic information via the internet to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) throughout a student's stay in the United States.

Notre Dame of Maryland University is a SEVIS-approved institution. Our English Language Institute issues the SEVIS Form I-20 once a student has been accepted into the program.

Effective September 1, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security began collecting a congressionally mandated fee to cover the costs of operating the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The current I-901 fee price is $350 USD.

I-901 Fee Payment

Frequently Asked Questions about the I-901

2. Apply for the F-1 visa online.

Our program gives you an I-20, which is a necessary document in order to get the student visa. However, we are not involved in the visa application process at all. This is done by the applicant.

Currently, the fee for the visa application is $160 USD.

Online Application for F-1 Student Visa

3. Schedule your Visa Interview.

The next step is to schedule an appointment for your visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. Interview appointments don’t always happen right away, and depending on your location, the wait time to get an appointment may be quite long. Try to apply for your visa as early as possible.

To review the interview wait time for your location, and for more information about the F-1 Student Visa application process, check here:

F-1 Visa Info and Wait Time Check 

For the interview, you will be required to bring with you the following:

  • Paper Receipt of SEVIS Fee payment
  • Original Form I-20
  • Letter of Admission from the ELI at Notre Dame of Maryland University
  • Proof of Financial Support (original bank statement, not older than 6 months)
  • Valid, Unexpired Passport
  • Two Identical Photographs
  • Proof of Visa Application Fee payment
Additional Requirements & Documents

Financial Support Requirements 

The Department of Homeland Security requires that all F-1 applicants have financial resources that will adequately cover expenses while in the United States.

To receive a SEVIS Form I-20, you must submit, along with your application, an original bank statement and letter of sponsorship that shows proof of sufficient funding to cover tuition, housing and other estimated personal expenses while in the United States.

Financial statements must:

  • Cover the full amount for the period of time enrolled in the program; and
  • Be current within the last 6 months.
SEVIS Cost
Sessions Tuition + Fees Living Expenses Other Costs Total
1 $2,695 $3,047 $400 $6,142
2 $5,390 $6,094 $800 $12,284
3 $8,085 $9,141 $1,200 $18,426
4 $10,780 $12,188 $1,600 $24,568
5 $13,475 $15,235 $2,000 $30,710

Sponsorship

If you will be sponsored by a company, organization or government agency, you must include a letter from the sponsor listing which costs and expense the sponsor will pay. The letter must be written on official letterhead and it must be included with your ELI application.

Dependents

If you plan to bring a spouse or children as dependents, you must provide evidence of additional financial support for each person. Please provide copies of the passport for each dependent with your ELI application.

Next Steps

After you receive a SEVIS Form I-20, check with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country to find out what is needed to apply for an F-1 Student Visa.

Other Important Documents 

All international students are required to have certain documents. Students in F-1 status are required to have the following:

Passport 

Your passport is the basic travel document issued by your government. While you are in the U.S., your passport must be valid for at least six months into the future.

Passports can be renewed at your government's embassy in Washington, D.C. It must be valid if you plan to leave and re-enter the U.S.

SEVIS I-20 

The SEVIS Form I-20 is a Certificate of Eligibility for non-immigrant (F-1) student status. The document is issued by academic institutions and used by students to:

  • Obtain F-1 visas abroad;
  • Re-enter the U.S.; and
  • Transfer from one school to another.

Your signature on the SEVIS Form I-20 means you understand and accept the DHS regulations. Keep this with your passport.

Status

Your SEVIS Form I-20 is valid for the time period indicated on the form only if you maintain status. It becomes invalid despite the expiration date if you are out of status.

Transfers & Extensions

In the case of transfers or extensions, the school will give you the student copy of your new I-20 and update your DHS record in SEVIS.

F-1 Visa 

Your visa is either a red, white and blue stamp on a page in your passport or a computerized visa form affixed to your passport.

It includes:

  • Name
  • Visa Classification (F-1, J-1, etc.)
  • Place and Date of Issue
  • Expiration Date
  • Number of Times You are Permitted to Enter the U.S. (S = single entry, M = multiple entries)

Once you have entered the U.S., the expiration date on your F-1 visa is no longer important for initial entry purposes.

Form I-94 

For students entering the U.S. prior to May, 2013, the I-94 was a small white arrival/departure card which a DHS officer put into your passport when you arrived.

It contained:

  • Name
  • DHS Admission Number
  • Birth Date
  • Citizenship
  • Date and Point of Entry into the U.S.
  • Visa Classification
  • Length of Time You Can Remain in the U.S.  
What is D/S?

D/S means 'duration of status' and indicates that you can remain in the U.S. for as long as you are studying full-time in educational institutions and maintaining status. Students with F-1 visas have "D/S" written on their I-94's. 

For students who entered the U.S. after May, 2013, the I-94 is no longer in card form. Instead the passport is stamped with arrival and length of stay (D/S). 

Travel Abroad and Re-entry into the U.S.

Each time F-1 students leave the United States for a visit abroad, they must have their SEVIS Form I-20 signed. At least one week before leaving campus, students should bring their SEVIS Form I-20 to the English Language Institute to request a signature.

When traveling, please carry the following with you: 

  1. Valid Passport (or travel document)
  2. Valid F-1 Visa in Passport with Multiple Entries
  3. SEVIS I-20 (Student Copy) endorsed for re-entry by the Program Coordinator, or a new SEVIS Form I-20 and evidence of financial support

Expired Visa

If the visa stamp in your passport has expired, a new visa must be obtained at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country before re-entry to the United States.

When applying for a new F-1 visa, you must present a new SEVIS Form I-20 and evidence of financial support to the Embassy or Consulate. 

New SEVIS Form I-20

To obtain a new SEVIS Form I-20, submit a request to our office before your departure and allow at least two weeks for processing.

If you are unsure about these documents, please ask the Program Coordinator to check them.

Travel to Another Country

If you plan to enter a country other than your own, you must contact that country's Embassy or Consulate in the U.S. to find out if an entry visa or health certificate is required.

Documents

When leaving the U.S., your Form I-94 (small white card stapled in your passport) must be surrendered.

Keep your SEVIS Form I-20 (Student Copy) with you at all times.

Important Information

Change of Address 

All internationals in the United States (including permanent residents) are required to provide DHS with their current U.S. address.

F-1 students are required to notify our office within 10 days of any change of address.

Visitors Visa (B-2)

If you are already in the United States on a B-2 visa, you may not study full-time until you have changed your visa status to an F-1 Student Visa. You may study part-time on a B-2 visa.

Visa Waivers 

Citizens from certain countries do not need a visa to travel in the United States. However, please note that the following travelers will need a visa in these cases: 

  • People who intend to work in the U.S. (paid or unpaid). This includes work as an au-pair or intern. 
  • People who intend to stay in the U.S. for more than 90 days. 
  • People who intend to attend school or university in the U.S. 

Learn More about Visa Waiver Program

Helpful Resources