F-1 Student Visa 2026: How to Apply, Interview Tips and the New Vetting Rules

To get an F-1 student visa, you need an I-20 from an SEVP-certified school, then you pay the $350 SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 (including every social media handle you used in the last five years), and attend an interview at a US embassy or consulate in your country of nationality or residence. Since mid-2025, F-1 applicants must also set their social media profiles to public before the interview.

Key points

• Start with admission and an I-20. The I-20 shows your program dates and the funds you must prove.
• As of October 2026, fees are the $350 I-901 SEVIS fee plus the visa application fee. A $250 Visa Integrity Fee has been reported at some consulates but has no official nationwide start date.
• Most applicants must interview in person, and third-country appointments ended in September 2025.
• Officers look for three things: a real study plan, enough money, and ties that show you will leave after your studies.
• Duration of status (D/S) still applies. The rule that would have replaced it was blocked on September 14, 2026.

Step 1: Get admitted and receive your I-20

Apply to a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Once you are admitted and show proof of funding, the school’s designated school official (DSO) issues Form I-20. Check that:

• Your name matches your passport exactly.
• The program start and end dates are correct.
• The estimated costs match what you can prove.

Your I-20 has a SEVIS ID number (starting with N). You will need it for the fee and the DS-160.

Step 2: Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee

Pay at FMJfee.com after you receive your I-20 and before your visa interview. As of October 2026, ICE lists these amounts:

Applicant	I-901 SEVIS fee
F-1 or M-1 student	$350
J-1 exchange visitor	$220 (some program types $35)
F-2 or J-2 dependents	$0

You pay once per SEVIS record. If you transfer schools without a gap, you do not pay again. Keep the receipt for your interview and the border. Canadians, who do not need a visa, still pay the fee and show proof at entry (Study in the States).

Step 3: Complete the DS-160

The DS-160 is the online visa application. Key points for 2026:

• Social media: list every platform and handle you used in the last five years. Do not leave any out; omissions can be treated as misrepresentation.
• Photo: must meet State Department rules.
• Consistency: what you write must match your I-20, financial documents and what you say at the interview.

Step 4: Pay the visa fee and book the interview

The State Department visa application fee for student visas has been $185. Pay it the way your embassy instructs, then book an appointment.

Rules that changed in 2025:

• Interview waivers mostly ended on September 2, 2025. Most applicants of all ages now interview in person. The main exception is certain B-1/B-2 renewals.
• Apply where you are a national or resident. Since September 6, 2025, you cannot pick a consulate in a third country because it has shorter wait times.
• Visa Integrity Fee. H.R. 1 created a $250 fee collected after a visa is approved. Reports from spring 2026 said some consular posts had started charging it, while the State Department had not published a nationwide start date. Follow your embassy’s payment instructions.

Step 5: Set your profiles to public

In June 2025, after a short pause in student visa scheduling, the State Department resumed F, M and J interviews with an expanded online presence review. Applicants are told to set privacy settings on all social media accounts to “public.” The program has since been extended to H-1B, K-1 and, from October 1, 2026, TN and TD applicants (State Department).

Content seen as hostile to the US or as a security concern can lead to extra screening (often a 221(g) “administrative processing” refusal while checks run) or a denial.

Step 6: The interview

Bring:

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay (some nationalities are exempt from the six-month rule)
• Signed I-20
• DS-160 confirmation page
• SEVIS fee receipt and visa fee receipt
• Admission letter
• Financial documents: bank statements, scholarship or sponsor letters, loan approvals
• Academic records and test scores

What officers assess

1. Genuine student. Can you explain why this program, this school, and how it fits your past studies and future career?
2. Funding. Can you pay at least the first year’s costs shown on the I-20, with a credible plan for the rest?
3. Intent to return. F-1 is a nonimmigrant visa. Under US law, the officer must presume you intend to immigrate unless you show otherwise. Family, property, job prospects and career plans at home help.

Short, clear answers in your own words work better than memorized speeches. If you are refused under section 214(b), the officer was not convinced on one of these points. You can reapply, ideally with changed circumstances or stronger evidence.

Travel ban countries

Nationals of the 39 countries in Proclamation 10998 (effective January 1, 2026) face visa restrictions. The 19 full-ban countries are restricted for all visa types. For most of the 20 partial-ban countries, the restrictions include student and exchange visas (F, M and J). Check the proclamation and your embassy’s guidance before paying fees. See our travel ban country list.

After you get the visa

• Entering: new students may enter up to 30 days before the program start date on the I-20.
• Admission: you are admitted for “duration of status” (D/S), meaning as long as you keep a full course load and follow the rules, plus a 60-day grace period after you finish.
• Report to your DSO when you arrive, and keep your address updated.

Duration of status: blocked rule

DHS finalized a rule in July 2026 that would have replaced D/S with fixed admission periods and required extensions through USCIS. On September 14, 2026, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, one day before the rule’s effective date. As of October 11, 2026, D/S remains in place, but the case continues and the rule could return if the injunction is lifted. Read our explainer on the duration of status rule.

Working on an F-1

Type	When	Limits
On-campus work	From the start	Up to 20 hours a week during term, full time during breaks
CPT (Curricular Practical Training)	Usually after one academic year	Must be an integral part of the curriculum; SEVP guidance from August 2026 narrowed this, including Day 1 CPT
OPT (Optional Practical Training)	During or after studies	Up to 12 months per degree level
STEM OPT	After OPT	24 more months for eligible STEM degrees

See our guides to F-1 OPT and the STEM OPT extension. DHS proposed new OPT fees on October 8, 2026; that proposal is not in effect.

Common mistakes

• Booking an interview before your I-20 details are final.
• Leaving a social media handle off the DS-160.
• Showing large deposits made just before the interview with no explanation.
• Working off campus without authorization, which ends status.
• Dropping below a full course load without DSO approval.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you have a prior refusal, a status violation or a criminal record, speak with a licensed US immigration attorney before applying.

What to do next

• Check your I-20 details and pay the SEVIS fee.
• Set your social media profiles to public and gather all handles for the DS-160.
• Book the earliest interview at a consulate in your country of nationality or residence.
• Follow changes to student rules on our updates page and the US hub.