• Studying in the United States requires a student visa.student image by Ivanna Buldakova from Fotolia.com
  
  To apply for a student visa, you must first be accepted to attend a university or vocational school in the United States. The purpose of a student visa is to allow foreign students to study in the United States on a temporary basis, with the expectation that they will return to their country after completion of their coursework. The Department of Homeland Security will want to verify that you have a home in your country that you plan to keep, that you have enough money to complete your studies in the United States, and that you intend to leave the United States.
  
  

Certificate of Eligibility of Non-Immigrant Student Status

• You will need an I-20 form issued by your school. This form will verify that you are a registered student. You will need to submit this form when applying for a student visa.
  
  

SEVIS I-901 Fee Receipt

• You must pay a Student Exchange Visitor Information System fee to the Department of Homeland Security. The fee helps to maintain the costs associated with operating a student visa program. The 2010 fee is $200. You pay the fee online and then print the payment receipt.
  
  

Non-Immigrant Visa Application

• You will need to submit Form DS-156, the Non-Immigrant Visa Application. Some embassies will require you to submit Form DS-160, which is the newer, online version of the Non-Immigrant Application.
  
  

Passport

• You will need a passport to apply for a student visa.
  
  

Photo

• You will need a 2-by-2-inch photo to apply for a student visa.
  
  

Visa Application Fee

• You will need to pay $131 for the Visa Application fee. You will need a payment receipt to process your student visa.