About the visa of the American embassy

1. Choose a time and apply for a visa:

After receiving the school admission notice and I-20 form, you need to apply for a visa within 120 days before the registration date. The embassy stipulates that if the applicant submits an application before 120 days before the registration date, the embassy will not accept it. All applicants for F 1 must hold a valid I-20 form issued by the admission school. 2. Pay SEVIS fee $ 100:

SEVIS fee is called: information system management fee for students and exchange scholars.

The fees charged by SEVIS I-90 1 are authorized by the U.S. Congress to support an automated system for collecting and managing information about foreign students and visitors in the United States, and to ensure their legal status in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the implementation of SEVIS charges. From September 1 2004, every applicant who is issued with the first form of I-20 or DS-20 19 has the responsibility to pay this fee before applying for a visa.

The student and exchange visitor information system (SEVIS) is set at $65,438+000. All applicants who need to pay SEVIS fees must also fill in the form I-90 1. This form can be obtained online through www.fmjfee.com Internet website.

At present, students and exchange visitors information system (SEVIS) fees can be paid by credit card on the Internet, or by international remittance. If it can be paid in American currency, it can also be paid by American financial institutions. Applicants must apply for visas in person at the consulate where they live, study and work. First of all, choose your region and book the visa date by phone:

The following are the fax numbers and consular areas of the major US consulates in China:

Beijing 86- 10-6532-3 178

Chengdu 86-28-8558-3520 Other provinces and cities except Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang.

Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet, Chongqing and Guangzhou 86-20-8 186-234 1

Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, Hainan and Shanghai 86-2 1-6433-4 122

Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai

Shenyang 86-24-2322-2374

Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. Visa reservation:

You need to contact the visa information service center of the American consulate. The visa information call center provides non-immigrant and immigrant visa-related information for applicants of the US Embassy in Beijing and consulates general in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang, and makes appointments for non-immigrant visa interviews. contact information

You can contact the visa information call center at 4008-872-333.

Services provided: Callers can get all information about non-immigrant and immigrant visa categories and related application procedures from the center, and all non-immigrant visa interview time in Chinese mainland will be reserved through the visa information call center. The center provides services in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Minnan and Taishan dialect during office hours.

The recorded information of the visa information call center is played 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visa reservation time is from 7: 00 am to 7: 00 pm from Monday to Friday and from 8: 00 am to 5: 00 pm on Saturday. Payment type/method

The service provided by the center requires "users to pay in advance", and the cost is to call 54 yuan RMB every 12 minutes or 36 yuan RMB every 8 minutes. Any remaining time can be reserved for future use or transferred to others. The payment method is as follows: prepaid encrypted calling card sold by CITIC Industrial Bank. All CITIC Industrial Bank, which can pay the visa application fee in the United States, sells prepaid encrypted calling cards. Each 54 yuan RMB calling card allows the cardholder to talk for 12 minutes, and each 36 yuan RMB calling card allows the cardholder to talk for 8 minutes. Users who use credit/debit cards can log on to the website of Visa Information Center for payment, and log on to the website of Visa Information Center /schi/welcome.aspx for payment, and they will get a password after payment. After paying RMB 54 yuan, you can use this password to talk for 12 minutes, and for paying RMB 36 yuan, you can use this password to talk for 8 minutes. 5. Purchase visa application fee:

Before applying for face-to-face visa, an application fee of RMB 830 yuan shall be paid to the designated branch of China CITIC Bank (the application fee will not be refunded whether the visa is approved or not). During the interview, two application fee receipts must be issued. Please note that the visa application fee will not be refunded whether the visa is approved or not. If you have paid the application fee, but fail to submit the application within the validity period stipulated in the receipt, your receipt for application fee will be invalid and the application fee will not be refunded. 6. Fill in the visa application form:

The visa application form is provided free of charge and can be obtained from China CITIC Bank or downloaded from the website of the US Consulate in China. If you download the form, please make sure to print two application forms on the same paper. When filling in the visa application form, you should pay attention to the following matters:

The non-immigrant visa application form you submit will help the visa officer decide whether you are eligible for a visa. Therefore, it is particularly important to fill in the application form completely and accurately. If you fail to fill in the form completely and accurately, the embassy will not be able to accept or process your application and ask you to make an appointment for a visa interview. Please find out the telegram code of your name and be sure to answer every question: if the answer is "no" or "no", please fill it in truthfully. Never leave a blank. Provide two application forms (DS- 156):

One is in English, and the other is in Chinese.

Stick a two-inch recent photo (about 50 mm *50 mm front photo taken in the last six months) on the Chinese and English forms with glue or staples. If you are an applicant over 16 years old, please fill in the Supplementary Information Form for Application (DS- 157) in English and Chinese. If you are applying for a student visa (F- 1), an exchange visiting scholar visa (J- 1) or a vocational and technical training student visa (M- 1), please fill out a supplementary application information form in Chinese and English (DS- 158).

Before submitting the application form, review the contents filled in again to ensure completeness and accuracy. You must sign and date the two forms. Please remember: your signature indicates that the information provided is accurate, even if the form was filled out by someone else. Requirements for photos:

Positive photos that must be taken in the last 6 months, without borders. The front side means that the applicant should face the camera when taking pictures, and his eyes should not look down or squint. It is required that the applicant can be clearly identified from the photos, which can be colored or black with white and light background. If the photo is nailed, the nail should be as far away from the applicant's face as possible. If the background of the photo has patterns or patterns, or it is dark, it will not be accepted. 7. List of materials required for visa application (taking undergraduates as an example)

1) My passport and ID card.

2) 2) Chinese and English non-immigrant visa application forms of DS156, 157 and 158, and two payment receipts. (Buy a copy of RMB 830 from China CITIC Bank, including visa application form and two receipts; Application forms can also be downloaded and printed in www.usembassy-china.org/visa.. Please note that forms 156 and 158 should be printed on both sides. The DS 156 form must be pasted with two 50 * 50 color photos, which can be taken opposite the US Consulate.

3) School Admission Notice and I-20 Form

4) High school transcripts (stamped with the fresh seal of the school, sealed with an envelope and sealed at the sealing place)

5) Original TOEFL transcript

6) Original high school diploma and college entrance examination admission ticket.

7) Original valid bank deposit certificate (generally valid for 3 months, the specific amount needs to be determined after evaluation, and it is best to cover all expenses for 3-4 years).

8) Brief introduction of personal achievements: All kinds of award-winning certificates and supporting documents for social activities at school should be prepared.

9) proof of parents' work income and list of family assets. If there is a family business (including the company of parents or relatives), you can prepare the company's introduction and publicity materials, a copy of the company's business license, the business cards of parents or relatives, and their office photos in the company. If the enterprise is a shareholder, it should also have the capital contribution certificate or shareholding certificate issued by the company.

10) various rankings and characteristics, professional advantages, curriculum of the school applying for, and introduction of famous professors or research centers in related courses. Please print out useful information and underline the key sentences with highlighter to apply for a visa. 8. Matters on the day of the interview:

Information submitted to Secretary China when applying for a visa:

1) Payment receipt for passport visa application (￥8 10)

2) Fill in the non-immigrant visa application forms DS 156, 157 and 158.

3) I-20 forms and admission notices of American universities

4) Two color photos, posted on the DS 156 form (50*50).

Steps to collect the applicant's biometric characteristics before the interview: At the beginning of the visa interview, the applicant's left and right index fingers will be scanned electronically without ink, and the whole application process will take no more than one minute to collect fingerprints. At this time, the electronic information of fingerprints will be stored in a computer information base for immigration officials of the Department of Homeland Security to check at the entry port of the United States. The applicant only needs to put two index fingers on a small scanner when talking to the visa officer, and after a few seconds, the fingerprint of his index finger will be electronically scanned. You only need to complete this step under the guidance of the visa officer and according to the requirements of the visa officer. This is the first step to start a face-to-face interview, so you should pay attention to your manners. Visa on-site countermeasures

Precautions for personal behavior:

From the moment you enter the visa hall, all your manners will be observed by the visa officer, so please pay attention to your appearance and manners, don't whisper to other applicants, sit quietly in your seat, don't look around, and keep a good sitting posture. You know, at this stage, you have entered the observation range of the visa officer, pay attention to your words and expressions. Please remain calm and natural. Until it's your turn to sign it yourself. During the waiting period, you can read the materials you carry with you and the books and materials provided by the embassy. Don't do other things unrelated to the interview, such as listening to the walkman and MP3 with headphones, reading newspapers and magazines, etc.

Pay attention to politeness and comity, and care for and help the old people in line.

Please pay attention to dress as generously and naturally as possible, in line with your identity and role. You don't always have to wear a suit and tie. It is best for girls to wear light makeup, but not heavy makeup, long hair and unconventional. Strategies in the interview:

At the beginning of the interview, the visa officer will ask the applicants if they are in good condition to answer and make sure they understand what they are saying. Finally, the applicant will be asked if there are any questions that can be raised as much as possible. Do you understand all the questions asked by the visa officer before? And encourage candidates to ask questions they don't understand at any time during the interview. If at the end of the interview, the applicant says that he didn't understand the visa officer's question at that time, the visa officer will ask it again. The most important thing in visa application is that you can confidently answer the visa officer's questions around your true and excellent quality and plan.

The following basic principles are the only magic weapon to successfully obtain a visa, and applicants need to master them:

1) confidence

It is still the psychology of Americans, and people who respect self-confidence. Self-confidence is not to be overbearing, but a calm and steady attitude. When talking to the visa officer, talk to him in a communicative tone. You can't shrink back, but open it tightly, otherwise it will give the visa officer a feeling of tension and conflict. Of course, this is based on a solid background and adequate preparation.

Americans are educated to show their self-confidence and ability, while China people are educated that modesty makes people progress and pride makes people lag behind. Therefore, some applicants who have worked hard in China schools for more than ten years suddenly become meaningless in front of Americans. Statistics show that 40% of applicants were refused visas because they could not satisfy visa officers by answering questions, or because their oral expression skills were poor.

2) Natural and generous

This is very important. Try to smile when facing the visa officer. When you answer the visa officer's question, your eyes must be focused and look straight at the visa officer. Don't look around and be absent-minded. Before the interview, you need to spend unprecedented energy to improve your speaking ability, and freely express your speaking ability, communication ability and communication ability based on English. Answer questions concisely, and don't be too quiet and shy.

3) Have a correct attitude.

Peace of mind, rational understanding of visa refusal, visa application as a test of their own quality, peace of mind naturally helps to play, but also can reverse the situation under unfavorable circumstances. When it is difficult to sign in person or the existing visa situation is unfavorable, it is even more necessary to face the challenge calmly. At this time, we must continue the face-to-face signing process with the mentality of "death and afterlife". After the state is relaxed, there are often twists and turns, and the applicant is super.

4) Clear objectives

5) likable

The performance of on-site interview plays a decisive role in the success of visa, and it is very important for applicants to prepare for the interview carefully. The interview time is very short, usually in English. It is especially recommended that introverts participate in professional interview training, make interview plans according to their own characteristics, adjust their mentality, and know how to avoid common mistakes in interviews.

Visa officers hope that applicants will not use visa interviews to prepare books and prepared speeches in advance. Visa officers have interviewed thousands of students, many of whom have used the same manuals or speeches. And using these things will not increase the chances of successful application. Similarly, any help to the preparation of English materials should also be clearly expressed. Several results of face-to-face interview:

1) Get a visa on the spot: You get a white note on the spot, which means that you have successfully got a visa. Please get your passport in the afternoon.

2) Check on the spot: During the interview, if the visa officer has any questions about the materials submitted by you, he will call to check on the spot, and if the investigation is successful, he can also sign on the spot. Therefore, on the day of the interview, the parents' unit or any place in the materials that provides telephone inquiries must answer correctly, and the answers of the respondents should be consistent with the information on the materials to ensure that the investigation on the day of the interview is foolproof.

3) Supplementary materials: In rare cases, the visa officer is not satisfied with the materials provided by you, but does not immediately refuse the visa. He will ask you to supplement the materials he requested within a certain period of time and reconsider whether he can issue you a visa. You should try your best to submit the supplementary materials to the embassy within this period of time according to his requirements. Now the deadline for supplementary materials is generally before the afternoon of the same day.

4) Refuse: Don't pester after refusing, ask politely, thank you and leave, and don't be rude. The next visa must make a transition, and even politely tell the visa officer, "I will come again next time." 8. Re-apply after refusing the visa

Because there is no formal appeal procedure, the applicant who has been refused a visa cannot raise an objection to the case. The only way to make the visa officer reconsider the application is to apply again. When applying again, the applicant must make an appointment for an interview again, pay the visa application fee again and submit the application form again. What needs to be firmly remembered at this time is that "every visa is new", which is the statement of the visa officer and the fact. When interviewing again, the applicant must produce convincing new evidence that the applicant has close ties with China. Don't send the relevant materials directly to the consular office. Applicants should show all the materials to the visa officer during the interview. 9. Avoidance of the second interview after visa refusal:

If you meet the same visa officer in the second interview after refusing the visa, the visa officer will automatically quit. If not, please don't quit voluntarily, especially when the number of visa officers is small. 10. Provisions on the validity of visas:

The date of issuance of a visa refers to the date when the visa is issued by the visa authority, so as to calculate the validity period and stay period of the visa. Its English expression is "x month x day x year", which is very important and needs to be remembered to prevent the visa from expiring. Student visas usually indicate that they are valid for six months, which means that they can land in the United States within six months, instead of staying in the United States for six months, usually twice, and returning to China twice within six months without a visa. Of course, you have to go through the relevant formalities at the American consulate. ?