Non-Immigrant Visas
Visa Procedures for Yemeni Students
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
Welcome to all students! The United States is proud to host thousands of visiting students every academic year, and American academic institutions offer unparalleled programs in every academic discipline. No matter what you plan to study, there is a school and a program in the United States that will fit your scholastic objectives. Please review carefully the following information regarding student visas. Please also visit the State Department’s web page on study in the United States, available at Education USA.
Applicants for Student Visas should follow the general instructions for all non-immigrant applicants. Applicants must complete the application forms (DS-156, DS-157 for men, and DS-158), submit a valid passport, an appropriate color photo and application fee of $131.00.
In addition, the following documentation is required for all student visa applications:
• An original, signed Form I-20; these forms are issued by accredited institutions in the United States;
• Evidence of prior academic achievement (school transcripts, TOEFL, SAT, GRE, GMAT results, etc.);
• Evidence of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses in the United States.
• Payment of the SEVIS fee before coming to the Embassy for an interview. For more information visit this website:SEVIS Link.
OTHER DOCUMENTATION
Student visa applicants must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that they have binding ties to Yemen, which they have no intention of abandoning, and that they will depart the United States when they have completed their studies. It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take since applicants' circumstances vary greatly. Information regarding this requirement and Section 214(b) are available in our general instructions for all non-immigrant applicants.
Scholastic Preparation:
The student visa applicant must have successfully completed a course of study normally required for enrollment. The student, unless coming to participate exclusively in an English language training program, must either be sufficiently proficient in English to pursue the intended course of study, or the school must have made special arrangements for English language courses or teach the course in the student's native language.
Financial Resources:
Applicants must also prove that sufficient funds are or will be available from an identified and reliable financial source to defray all living and school expenses during the entire period of anticipated study in the United States. Specifically, applicants must prove they have enough readily available funds to meet all expenses for the first year of study, and that adequate funds will be available for each subsequent year of study.
Acceptance Form (I-20):
An applicant coming to the United States to study must be accepted for a full course of study by an educational institution approved by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The institution must send to the applicant a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status for Academic and Language Students. Questions on how to obtain a Forms I-20 should be made to the educational institution, not to Embassy Sana'a.
U.S. Port of Entry:
Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. The INS has authority to deny admission. Also, the period for which the bearer of a student visa is authorized to remain in the United States is determined by the INS, not the consular officer. At the port of entry, an INS official validates Form I-94, Record of Arrival-Departure, which notes the length of stay permitted.
Employment:
An F-1 student may not accept off-campus employment at any time during the first year of study; however, the INS may grant permission to accept off-campus employment after one year. F-1 students may accept on-campus employment from the school without INS permission.
Family Members:
A spouse and unmarried, minor children may also be eligible for a nonimmigrant visa to accompany or follow the student. Family members must meet all visa eligibility requirements, including evidence that they will have sufficient funds for their support, and that they will depart the U.S. when the student's program ends. Spouses and children of students may not accept employment at any time.
THE CONSULAR OFFICER WILL ONLY CONSIDER DOCUMENTS BROUGHT ALONG TO THE INTERVIEW. DOCUMENTS FAXED OR MAILED TO THE EMBASSY IN ADVANCE OF THE APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.