Bring the following materials to your interview at your U.S. embassy or consulate.

• Passport
• Required photo(s)
• Visa fee or proof of visa fee payment
• Federal SEVIS fee payment receipt
• U.S. non-immigrant visa application forms (unless you will completing it at the consulate or embassy)
• Baruch admission letter
• Baruch SEVIS I-20 or SEVIS DS-2019
• Test scores and academic records
• Proof of English proficiency
• Proof of financial support
• Evidence of ties to your home country
• Any other documents required by the embassy or consulate

Strategies for the visa appointment

You are well advised to consider the following matters prior to your visa appointment, as you may be asked about each item. Anticipate that the visa interview will be conducted in English and when possible, be concise. Because of the volume of visa applications, all consular officials are under considerable pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interviews.

• Academics: Be definite and clear about your educational plans.
• Ties to your home country: Demonstrate convincing reasons for consular officials to believe that you intend to return home after studies in the United States. Be aware country-specific circumstances may be taken into consideration. For example, applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from where many students have remained in the United States as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas.
• Financial documentation: Be prepared to prove financial ability to pay for your education and living expenses.
• Dependents remaining at home: If you have a spouse and/or children remaining behind in your home country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular official gains the impression that your family members will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support them, your student visa will almost surely be denied.

Visa denial

The vast majority of Baruch College students will be successful in obtaining their student visas. Despite this, a small number of students may have their visa applications denied. The most common reasons for visa denial are:

• Failure to prove sufficient ties to your home country
• Failure to provide sufficient evidence of financial support

The visa officer must verbally inform you of the reason for the visa denial. If your visa is denied, please send an email to issc@baruch.cuny.edu and provide the date and location of your visa interview, and details regarding why the visa officer denied your application.