F-1 visa · documents
F-1 Visa Documents Checklist for Indian Students
Officers often decide F-1 cases in a few minutes and may not look at most papers. Carry everything, organised in order, but expect the interview to rest on what you say about your studies, funding and plans.
- Mandatory: passport, I-20, DS-160
- Funds for the first year
- Academic records
- Organised in one folder
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Quick answer
F-1 Visa Documents Checklist for Indian Students
Carry: passport, signed I-20, DS-160 confirmation, appointment confirmation, SEVIS fee receipt and visa fee receipt (mandatory); bank statements, education-loan sanction letter, sponsor income proof (ITRs, salary slips) and CA statements (financial); transcripts, degree certificates and test scores (academic); and the admission letter and any scholarship letters.
- Valid passport (and old passports with any US visas)
- Signed Form I-20
- DS-160 confirmation page
- Appointment confirmation letter
- SEVIS I-901 fee receipt
- Visa application fee receipt
- One photo as per US visa rules (if your post asks for it)
- Education loan sanction letter (amount, rate, borrower names)
- Bank statements for 3–6 months for accounts shown on the I-20
- Fixed deposit receipts and other liquid assets
- Sponsor's ITRs for 2–3 years, salary slips or business proof
- CA net-worth and income certificates
- Scholarship or assistantship letters
- University admission letter
- Class 10, 12 and degree marksheets and certificates
- Test scores: GRE/GMAT, TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo
- Résumé and work-experience letters, if any
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
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Ask a counsellor directly — we reply on WhatsApp during working hours (Mon–Sat, 9 AM–6 PM IST).
Often not. They may ask for one or two, like the I-20 or a loan letter. Your answers about your course, funding and plans matter most.
Yes, carry originals and keep copies organised in a folder.
Usually, combined with your family's income documents to show you can repay and cover later years.
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