Visa Application Tips for Education Abroad Advisers/Programs Preparing Student Applications

Updated November 20, 2007

Institutions and programs all handle the visa and immigration processes based on the needs of their program and the immigration procedures relevant to their programs. Some institutions handle the visa application process on behalf of their students and others work with students who manage their own application process. Everyone should be aware that increasingly, many nations are requiring greater individualized procedures that may include interviews, fingerprinting, etc.

Below are some suggestions for institutions and programs as they work with foreign consulates.

• Develop and maintain professional and congenial relationships with all consulate staffers.
• Fax the first visa application you prepare to the consulate staffer requesting that s/he confirm it meets the requirements for that semester.
• Learn the ordering of documents that each consulate prefers.
•   Build time into your process to allow for prerequisite documents for some visa applications, including national criminal background checks (e.g. Chile, Greece) and medical evaluations (e.g. Russia, Australia). If a student needs an FBI Identification Record for a national criminal background check, the FBI recommends that individuals allow 16-18 weeks after submitting an application online.
• Follow up by e-mail and telephone with students frequently to ensure they are going to get documents to you on time.
• Some consulates may refuse to process student visa applications from students who miss the group submission or who cannot apply with the group submission as they are overseas when the group submission is sent to the consulate. The consulates will not be flexible on this point, and the student may need to go through a visa processing service to get his or her visas at additional expense to the student.
• International students may be able to submit their visa applications with the group submission. Check with each consulate in advance to find out if this is possible and if they will need additional documents for their application.
• Permanent residents of the United States can apply with the group submission, but they must send their original green card in addition to the other required materials.
• Understand and communicate your understanding to consulate staff you deal with that most consulate offices are understaffed and at the same time pressured by their governments to be strict in following the rules.
• E-mail consulate staff regarding problems an individual student may have.
• Advise parents and students that if they do not process the visa through you and instead try to apply independently, the consulate may refuse to process the application.
• Advise students and parents to avoid any communication with the consulate staff. When students and parents do contact the consulate office, they are often unpleasant and therefore jeopardize your success for other students. Consulates want to deal with you directly—that is why they invited institutions to actively support the student visa application process.
  
• Provide consulates with a cell phone number where they can reach you or a member of your staff at any time to alert you to time-sensitive and emergency problems.
• Visit consulates in person whenever you can, even in cases where a personal drop-off and/or pick-up are not required.
• Remember consulate staff at holiday times.

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