A non-immigrant visa is an immigration document that permits a citizen of a foreign country to enter into the U.S. for a temporary period of time. It also determines what a non-immigrant is allowed to do while in the U.S. There are many different types of visas, depending on your reason for coming to the U.S. For instance, if your primary purpose for entering the U.S. is to pursue full-time study, you should get an F-1 (student) visa. For more information about obtaining a visa, please visit the US Department of State website.

The I-20 is the official document Kaplan provides to students who are going to study with us full-time and have met all the requirements for its issuance. It enables overseas students to apply for a student visa at their local American embassy.

Please see our Medical Application and documents needed for your I-20.

This depends on whether students have submitted a complete application and how long it takes to receive the required documents. Generally, the I-20 will be issued within 2 weeks once we have all of the required documents and payment. Please keep this in mind if you want to apply for your visa as soon as possible.

Kaplan has rolling admissions, which means there are no fixed deadlines. Generally, if you wish to enter the U.S. on an F-1 visa, you must pick a scheduled start date at least 3 months in the future. Backlogs in scheduling a consulate interview appointment will affect this estimate as well.

The I-20, also called a “Certificate of Eligibility,” confirms that a non-immigrant has met the admission requirement of a U.S. school that is approved by the U.S. government to enroll non-immigrants. The I-20 is issued by the Designated School Official (DSO) at the school the student intends to study at and is required by the U.S. embassy/consulate to apply for F-1 visa status. Once in the United States, F-1 students must maintain a valid I-20 by studying full-time to remain legally in the country after their start date and communicate regularly with their DSO to ensure they maintain legal status while in the U.S.

You may request a change to your start date prior to entering the U.S. Please contact Kaplan to confirm your new start date as soon as you know about the change. At that time, if the change is acceptable, Kaplan will send you a revised I-20 to show your new study dates. Failure to notify Kaplan about these changes may cause problems for you at the port of entry and/or U.S embassy. Once you enter the U.S., you cannot postpone your start date. There are no exceptions to this policy. Please be advised that in order to change your start date, payment in full may be required. More details can be found on the application.

An F-1 visa is an immigration document that permits a foreign national to come to the US to study full-time for a temporary period of time.

No. All visas are issued by the U.S. Department of State at a U.S. embassy/consulate abroad. Kaplan issues the I-20 document required to seek the F-1 visa with the consulate.

You must first apply to Kaplan. If eligible for admission, Kaplan will issue an Initial Attendance form I-20. Upon receipt of form I-20, you will need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee online at www.fmjfee.com. The SEVIS I-901 fee supports the system that tracks students and ensures they maintain their visa status while in the U.S. After paying the fee, you will then need to visit the U.S. embassy/consulate in your home country to get an F-1 visa.

In general, you are expected to visit the U.S. embassy/consulate in the country for which you hold citizenship (i.e. the country that issued your passport). If your country does not have a U.S. embassy/consulate or if you are currently located in a different country to the one that issues your passport, you should contact the closest U.S. embassy to see if they can accept your application for an F-1 visa. To learn more about your local U.S. embassy, visit US Department of State website.

The average wait time varies from country to country. See website to confirm how long it takes at your local U.S. embassy/consulate.

Kaplan does not issue your visa and therefore cannot confirm for how long it will be valid. Instead, you should confirm this information with your local U.S. embassy/consulate.

No. Students are solely responsible for completing all government documents.

Kaplan does not issue visas and therefore cannot confirm the likelihood of approval. However, you should note that visa issuance is not guaranteed.

If you are denied a visa, you should ask the consular officer for the reason for denial before you leave the embassy. You have the right to request the denial in writing as well. If the reason for denial was caused by a mistake on your I-20, Kaplan can revise your I-20 and write a support letter to help you get your visa during a second interview. If no reason or a different reason is stated, Kaplan will likely be unable to assist you further. In most cases, the government’s decision is final and there is little Kaplan can do to change their decision.

Yes, you will receive a full tuition refund as per our cancellation policies.

You have up to 30 days before the start date listed on your I-20 to enter the U.S.

If you travel to the U.S. after your I-20 start date, you will probably face problems at the port of entry, since you were unable to meet the requirement of reporting to the Kaplan Center by your start date. To prevent problems at the port of entry, you should contact Kaplan and ask that we postpone your start date if you are unable to arrive before this date. At that time, Kaplan will mail you a revised I-20 with a postponed start date.

In general, you must show the port of entry officer the following documents. If these documents are missing or incomplete, you may be detained, questioned, or denied entry altogether.

A valid (non-expired) passport

A valid (non-expired) F-1 visa with the name of the affiliated school you will be attending printed at the bottom

All three pages of your I-20 issued by the affiliated school you will be attending (center name should match the name of the school listed on your visa)

All of your documents, such as your passport, Form I-20, and Form I-94 (do not pack any documents in your checked baggage)

Please visit https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/getting-to-the-united-states for more information.

Please visit www.ice.gov/sevis/students/index.htm and review the document called “What a Student Can Expect.” This document discusses what you will need to do at the port of entry.

One important form is the Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record. It shows the terms of your admission, including your legal status, length of time you may stay, and expected departure date. It is important to have a copy of your Form I-94 to prove your legal visa status in the United States. If you are admitted electronically and do not receive a paper form, or if you misplace your form and need a replacement, follow the steps below to retrieve a copy.

• Go to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Form I-94 and agree to the terms listed.
• Once directed to the Form I-94 information page, enter your name, date of birth, and passport information.
• Select “Get Most Recent I-94” or “Get Travel History.”

More details can be found here.

Form I-515A is a government form given to some travelers who are missing documentation required for entry to the U.S. If you are given this form by a port of entry officer, you must ask what documentation you are missing. Once confirmed, you will be required to submit that documentation to the government within 30 days after entry. If you do not meet this deadline, you will fall out of legal status and will have to leave the U.S. immediately. If you are given this form, please speak to the DSO at your Kaplan center immediately after entry.

You are required to arrive at the Kaplan center and begin full-time studies on or before the start date listed on your I-20. If you do not meet this requirement, your I-20 will be terminated, you will fall out of legal status, and will have to leave the U.S. immediately. If you are outside the U.S. and unable to travel to the U.S before your start date, contact Kaplan and we will update your I-20 by postponing the start date. If you have already entered the U.S. you will not be allowed to postpone your start date. There are no exceptions to this rule.

You'll need to begin your program on one of our listed start dates. Classes begin on the first Tuesday of every month. Additionally, you'll need to apply for and receive your F-1 student visa before you enter the US and begin your program. Kaplan strongly recommends that you contact us at least 3 months before your desired start date to begin the process.

We need to have a start date in order to process an application. Give yourself enough time for your visa to be processed and to secure accommodation.

Yes, but we will need to indicate on your I-20 that you are travelling with dependents. Please provide us with their full names, a copy of their passport, their date of birth, and relationship to you. More details can be found on the application.

If you do not meet Kaplan's full-time study requirements, you risk falling out of legal status with the following consequences:

Your I-20 will be terminated.

You will no longer be eligible to study with Kaplan.

You will not be eligible for a refund.

You will be required to leave the U.S. immediately after termination of your I-20.

As an F-1 student, your primary purpose for staying in the U.S. must be full-time study so that you can achieve your academic and/or career goals. You should not expect to work while studying with Kaplan. If you have more questions, they can be addressed to the DSO at your center upon arrival.

Please note, if you are found to be working without government approval and/or in a position not listed here, your employment will be considered unauthorized. This will result in immediate termination of your I-20 in the SEVIS student tracking system. If this occurs, you will no longer be eligible to study with Kaplan; you will not receive a refund and you must leave the U.S. immediately.

No. As a Kaplan student, you are not eligible for practical training (OPT/CPT) under any circumstance. There are no exceptions to this rule