Study Spectra

USA F-1 student visa from India: I-20, SEVIS fee, DS-160 and interview steps

First get accepted by a SEVP-certified US school, which issues your Form I-20. Then pay the I-901 SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and book a visa interview at a US Embassy or Consulate in India. You must show you can fund tuition and living costs. The officer decides; nothing here guarantees approval.

How does an Indian student get a US F-1 student visa?

The short route: school first, visa second

The F-1 visa is for academic study at a US school that is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The order matters. As shown by Study in the States (DHS) in October 2026, you receive a Form I-20 from a designated school official (DSO) once the school accepts you, and you need details from that I-20 to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. The same page says the SEVIS fee must be paid before you enter the United States, and Study in the States' visa page says you can apply for a visa after acceptance and after you hold a receipt for the I-901 payment.

You can plan your overall study-abroad route on our study abroad page and compare options on student visas. For the destination overview see Study in the USA.

Requirements and what each step needs

Item	What the official pages say	Where to confirm
Form I-20	Issued by your DSO after acceptance into an SEVP-certified school. You and the DSO both sign it; if you are under 18 your parents sign for you. Your visa type must match the I-20 type (F-1 or M-1).	Study in the States, Students and the Form I-20 (last updated April 29, 2025)
I-901 SEVIS fee	Mandatory and paid before entering the US. Separate from the visa application fee and from any school SEVIS administration fee.	ICE / Study in the States, I-901 SEVIS fee pages
Visa timing	F-1 visas can be issued up to 365 days before the course start date. You may enter the US up to 30 days before the start date on the I-20.	Study in the States, Students and the Form I-20
Proof of funds	You must have the resources for tuition, books, living expenses and travel. Evidence includes family bank statements, sponsor documentation, financial aid or scholarship letters, or an employer letter showing annual salary. Bring it to the visa interview.	Study in the States, Financial Ability (last updated May 25, 2023)
DS-160 and interview	The online DS-160 is the nonimmigrant visa application, and the interview is booked at a US Embassy or Consulate. The US Mission in India notes that F-category applicants are asked to set social media privacy settings to public.	U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India, visas page

Step by step: from admission to visa interview

Get an admission offer from a school that is SEVP-certified. Ask the school's international office to confirm its SEVP certification and which I-20 type (F-1 academic or M-1 vocational) it will issue.
Receive your Form I-20 from the DSO. Check your name, date of birth, program and start date against your passport, then sign it. Keep the original; Study in the States says you are expected to have the original at your visa interview.
Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. You will need your name, address, date of birth, email, country of birth and citizenship, the school code and the SEVIS ID from your I-20. As shown by the ICE I-901 page in October 2026, the F or M visa applicant fee is $350. Keep the payment confirmation, which you can print from fmjfee.com.
Complete the DS-160 online and keep its confirmation page. The US Mission in India says applicants must submit a properly completed DS-160 when booking, and that if your appointment was booked on or after November 15, 2023 and you corrected your DS-160, you must bring both the original and the corrected confirmation page to the visa application centre.
Book your visa appointment through the process on the US Mission in India website, and pay the visa application fee as the official site instructs. The pages we could read did not state the current visa application fee, so confirm it on travel.state.gov before paying.
Prepare your documents and funding evidence (next section), then attend the interview. After you receive the visa, check it is the right type and that your name and date of birth match your passport, as Study in the States advises.
Travel with your signed I-20 in your hand luggage. Study in the States says a US Customs and Border Protection officer will ask for it at the port of entry, so do not pack it away.

Documents to prepare for the F-1 interview

Use our document readiness checker to track what you hold, and the cost planner in prep to total tuition and living cost before you gather sponsor papers. Our broader guide on study abroad costs and proof of funds explains how funds are usually evidenced across countries.

Passport valid for your travel. Our prep tools include a passport validity check and a photo-format check.
Original Form I-20, signed by you and your DSO.
I-901 SEVIS fee payment confirmation.
DS-160 confirmation page (and the original plus corrected pages if you corrected it, as described above).
Visa appointment confirmation and fee receipt.
Proof of funds: bank statements, sponsor documents, loan or scholarship letters, or an employer salary letter, as listed by Study in the States. Individual schools can set their own acceptable forms, so ask the international student office.
Admission letter and academic records. The official pages we read did not list a mandatory test-score or transcript set for the interview, so bring what the embassy appointment instructions ask for.

Costs shown on official pages

The Embassy page also says visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Do not treat any total quoted by an agent as official unless it matches these pages.

Cost	Amount	Source and note
I-901 SEVIS fee, F or M applicant	$350	As shown by the ICE I-901 SEVIS Fee page (updated 12/10/2024) in October 2026. Confirm on the official page.
Visa application fee	Not retrieved	The travel.state.gov fee page blocked automated access, so we do not quote a figure. Check the current fee on the official site.
Tuition and living costs	Set by your school	Study in the States says your school must collect evidence of your financial ability; amounts come from the I-20 and your school.
Exchange rate used for fees in India	98 rupees per US dollar from May 25, 2026	As shown by the US Mission in India visas page in October 2026. It is the Consular Exchange Rate, not a bank rate.

Working during and after your studies

Study in the States states that F-1 work opportunities are limited, which is why you must prove funds before you come. Unauthorised work leads your DSO to report it in SEVIS, which terminates your record. Always talk to your DSO first.

Proposed change, not final: Study in the States reports that on October 8, 2026 DHS published a proposed rule that would add fees for OPT, described as a $70,000 charge per F student for initial OPT and $30,000 for the second year of practical training, with a public comment period until November 9, 2026. It is a proposal that DHS may revise, so do not budget around it as final; read the notice itself.
Fixed period of admission: the ICE SEVIS page reports that on July 17, 2026 DHS published a final rule setting a fixed time period of admission and an extension-of-stay procedure for F academic students. We did not retrieve the full rule text, so ask your DSO how it applies to your program length.
For how US work routes compare with other countries, see post-study work visas compared.

Type	Rule as published	Source
On-campus work	For students with Active SEVIS status, up to 30 days before classes start, apply through the DSO; no more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. You need a Social Security number to work.	Study in the States, Working in the United States (last updated November 28, 2023)
Off-campus work	Only after one full academic year and with qualifying economic hardship; needs DSO recommendation, a new I-20 and USCIS Form I-765 approval.	Study in the States, Working in the United States
CPT	Requires one full academic year unless your graduate program requires immediate CPT. Part-time or full time. One year or more of full-time CPT makes you ineligible for post-completion OPT. Authorised by the DSO on your I-20, no I-765 needed.	Study in the States, Training Opportunities and Applying for Practical Training (both updated August 24, 2026)
OPT	12 months at each education level, with a possible STEM OPT extension for eligible STEM degrees. Pre-completion OPT is capped at 20 hours per week in session. You may not start until USCIS approves and the EAD start date arrives.	Study in the States, same pages

Scams and red flags with US student visas

If you want general help on spotting pressure tactics, our trust page explains how we work, and you can reach us through the contact page.

Anyone who promises a guaranteed F-1 visa or a guaranteed interview slot. Only a consular officer decides, and the US Mission says appointment slots, including expedited ones, are very limited.
Anyone who offers to "show funds" with borrowed or temporary money, or fake bank statements. Funding evidence must be genuine, and false documents can cause serious immigration consequences.
Paying the SEVIS fee through an unofficial site. The ICE page names fmjfee.com for card payment, and the help email [email protected] and hotline (703) 603-3400. Check the web address carefully before entering card details.
An I-20 from a school you cannot verify as SEVP-certified. Confirm certification with the school and the DSO.
Agents asking you to submit DS-160 details you have not seen. You are responsible for every answer on your own application.
Study in the States has a page on commission-based recruiters, so ask whether an adviser is paid by the school before you rely on their school list.
Support emails: the US Mission in India says visa inquiries go to [email protected]. Be wary of look-alike addresses and paid "slot booking" middlemen.

What the official pages do not say

They do not give a pass rate, a minimum bank balance, or a fixed number of rupees that guarantees approval. Any such figure online is not an official rule.
The pages we could read do not give current appointment wait times for India. Check the appointment system for live availability.
We could not retrieve the travel.state.gov student visa page or fee page (access blocked to automated tools), so details such as the visa application fee, interview waiver eligibility and what the interviewer asks are not confirmed here. Read them on the official site before booking.
The pages do not say what the officer will ask or how long the interview lasts.
Rules changed in 2026 (the fixed period of admission final rule, the August 2026 CPT guidance and the October 2026 OPT fee proposal). Confirm each on its official notice, because the details affect length of stay and work plans.

Study Spectra note

Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP. We provide information and document-preparation support; immigration, visa and admission decisions rest solely with the relevant authorities and institutions. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not place people into overseas jobs. We do not guarantee admission, visas or interview outcomes. You can see our services and read the trust page. If you are comparing countries, see our guides on the UK student visa from India and the Canada study permit from India, or the destination pages for the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Browse our tools for planning aids.

Official sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-21. Information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the order: I-20, SEVIS fee, DS-160, interview?

Study in the States says you first receive the Form I-20 after acceptance, pay the I-901 SEVIS fee using details from it, then apply for the visa. The DS-160 and appointment booking follow, and the interview comes last. Confirm timing on the US Mission in India website.

How much is the SEVIS fee for an F-1 student?

As shown by the ICE I-901 SEVIS Fee page in October 2026, the fee for F or M visa applicants is $350. It is separate from the visa application fee and from school administration fees. Confirm the amount on the official page before paying.

How early can I get an F-1 visa?

Study in the States says F-1 and M-1 visas can be issued up to 365 days before your course start date, and you may enter the US up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20. Check your own I-20 for the exact dates.

How much money do I need to show for an F-1 visa?

No official page we read gives a fixed amount. Study in the States says you must have funds for tuition, books, living expenses and travel, shown by items such as bank statements, sponsor papers or scholarship letters. Your I-20 and school set the figures.

Can I work on an F-1 visa?

Limited work only. Study in the States lists on-campus work of up to 20 hours per week during classes, off-campus work only after one academic year and with economic hardship, CPT and OPT. Always get your DSO's approval first; unauthorised work can end your SEVIS record.

Is OPT going to cost $70,000?

Not as a final rule. Study in the States reports that DHS published a proposed rule on October 8, 2026 with those amounts and a comment period to November 9, 2026. Proposals can change, so read the notice and ask your DSO before making financial plans.

Do I need to make my social media public?

The US Mission in India says applicants for F and several other visa types are instructed to set social media privacy settings to public or open to help with vetting. Check the current wording on the official page before your interview.

Can an agent guarantee my F-1 visa?

No. Only a consular officer decides each application. Treat any guarantee of approval, interview slots or funds as a red flag, and check the SEVIS fee site address and your school's SEVP certification yourself.

Does Study Spectra guarantee admission or a US visa?

No. Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP. We provide information and document-preparation support; immigration, visa and admission decisions rest solely with the relevant authorities and institutions. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not place people into overseas jobs.