As the academic season in foreign universities rolls on, it is time for students to look out for exciting study options for courses that are set to start in January. Popular destinations which Indian students flock to every year are USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But many aspirants are plagued by doubts regarding student Visa procedures of these countries. So, here are some of the salient aspects to obtain a student Visa for these countries.
“While each country has its own procedure for granting a Visa, there are some common features in all these procedures. The most common requirements are – an acceptance letter by the university, all academic certificates from SSC to the most recent degree including mark sheets, certificates or bank statements proving financial assistance and last but not the least, a precise understanding of why you want to do the course along with clear career goals,” says Shubhankar Alapati, director, Global Tree.
A student may have to face a personal interview to obtain Visa for few countries like USA, while others like Australia follow a Drop-box method where a student just has to submit all the necessary documents. There are still others, like Ireland where the consulate might opt for a telephonic interview with the candidate.
USA
USA is the most sought after destination for students from our country. It is indeed a dream for many to study there, and precisely for this reason, because of a huge rush, getting a student Visa is more cumbersome.
After getting an admission letter from the university, a student has to pay a Visa fee of $140 at select HDFC bank branches. The list of these branches can be obtained at
https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/pdf/HDFC%20Locationsfeescenter.pdf. Once the Visa fee receipt is obtained, a candidate has to fill the DS-160 form and schedule a Visa interview. This can be done online at https://www.vfs-usa.co in/ApplnForms/RegularUser.aspx, and before going for the interview, a candidate should also pay $200 SEVIS I-901 fee at https://www.fmjfee.com/ i901fee/ . A typical interview may last up to five minutes and a candidate has precisely that much amount of time to establish his genuineness. A candidate should also carry his certificates along with financial details. Another important aspect in getting a VISA for USA is that you have to convince the interviewer regarding your intentions to return to India after your course. To this end it would be useful if you can show job opportunities that the course would open up for you in India.
UK
The Visa procedure for studying in UK is much simpler when compared to USA. Unlike USA, an aspirant does not have to appear for an interview. Students should submit completed applications with all documents at the VFS and their Visa will be processed in a maximum of 15 days time.
To submit these applications at VFS, a candidate has to first fill the details online and select an appointment date and time to submit the applications. A student also has to submit his application under ‘Tier 4 – Students' category of the new points-based system.
Further details and forms are available at http://www.ukba.home
office.gov.uk/Visas-immigration.
Australia
Like UK, Australia also has a ‘Drop-box' Visa system where the student submits all documents at the VFS and the applications are processed at the Australian High Commission, New Delhi. An E-Visa system is also available where the applications are lodged online and they are processed in Adelaide, Australia.
The Drop Box system, as compared to the E-Visa system, is used more often. Further information about VISA procedures and forms are available at http://www.immi.gov.au/students/.
New Zealand
New Zealand has simplified Visa procedures with a Funds Transfer Scheme. But a student going through this scheme has to attend a telephonic interview. The completed applications with full documents have to be submitted at the TTS and the applications will be processed in three to eight weeks. Further information is available at http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/formsandfees/formsand guides/study.htm.
Canada
Canada also has a Drop Box Visa system where student submit the documents at the VFS and applications are processed at the Canadian High Commission, New Delhi. There are two types of Visa procedures - Student Partnership Program (SPP) and Non SPP. The SPP system is a very popular procedure because of its high Visa success rates. The SPP is available only for Indian students.
Further information is available at http://www.vfs-canada.co.in/images/Student%20
Partners%20Program%20(SPP)%20Checklist.pdf and http://www.vfs-canada.co.in
/images/Study%20Permit%20Checklist-General.pdf.
Ireland
The applications for Ireland are also processed through a drop box system and are processed at the Irish Consulate, New Delhi. Here, a student might be interviewed telephonically and in some cases he may even have to attend a personal interview.
Processing the application will take a maximum of four weeks, though a faster processing is also possible. For further details visit http://www.irelandinindia.com.
