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Once you receive your I-20 from South Florida Bible College, you may apply for a visa up to 365 days prior to your program start date (though you cannot enter the U.S. until 30 days prior to the program start date).
Before you apply for your visa, you must pay the SEVIS Fee as outlined above, which is required of all new F-1 students and must be paid prior to applying for your student visa.
1. COMPLETING THE DS-160
To apply for your visa, you should submit the online visa application form DS-160 and pay the Visa Application Fee (See: Visa Fees and Reciprocity Agreements). Note, the Visa Fee is a separate fee from the SEVIS Fee.
The DS-160 requires you to input your Social Media history as a standard question. The question asks for all social media platforms you have used in the past 5 years and the username(s) or handle(s) you have used on those platforms.
In addition, the U.S. Embassy may ask you to also complete a DS-5535 Form, which is a supplemental questionnaire regarding your travel, employment, residence history, and family. Not every visa applicant will be asked to complete the DS-5535 Form. Complete the DS-5535 only if instructed to do so by a visa officer at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
NOTE: DS-160 U.S. Point of Contact – Many new international students do not have a U.S. Point of Contact. As an incoming SFBC international student, you should list your contact as:
Organization Name: South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary
Relationship To You: School Official
Address Line 1: International Student Services Department
Address Line 2: 2200 SW 10th Street
City: Deerfield Beach
State: Florida
Zip Code: 33442
Phone Number: 954-637-2294
Email Address: issd@sfbc.edu
2. SETTING YOUR VISA APPOINTMENT
After completing the DS-160, you should set your visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over your place of permanent residence (per 22 CFR 41.101(a)(1)).
Although visa applicants may apply at any U.S. consular office abroad, it may be more difficult to qualify for the visa outside the country of permanent residence.
Prior to scheduling your interview, you can check visa appointment waiting times online (Click here, to check Visa Waiting times). In larger countries with multiple U.S. Consular locations, you may find better visa appointment availability at a different consulate location within your country.
Please note that depending on your country of residence and field of study, visa processing times can exceed one month, so apply early.
Special Note for Canadians, Bermudians, and Bahamians: No student visa stamp is required for Canadian and Bermudian citizens (8 CFR 212.1(a)(1) and (2)). Additionally, no student visa stamp is required in some circumstances for Bahamian citizens who have been approved by an examining U.S. immigration officer at Freeport or Nassau (8 CFR 212.1(a)(3)). However, Canadians, Bahamian, and Bermudians must have a valid F-1 I-20 to enter the U.S. as students, and they must pay the SEVIS Fee prior to arrival.
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