Student Visa Information

If you plan to study in the United States, you will most likely require a student visa, which is either a category "F" visa, or a cateogry "J" visa. 

• At St. Ambrose, F-1 visa students are those who have come to St. Ambrose to complete a course of study, such as a bachelor's or master's degree.
• J-1 visa students are those who have come to St. Ambrose on exchange agreements with their home institution. J-1 visa students study at St. Ambrose for a semester or year, depending on our agreement with your university. Some visiting scholars and professors also come to St. Ambrose on J-1 visas.

So what is a visa? 

The visa is an information page placed in the passport that informs the border official (CBP) that the US Consulate approved you to enter the US in a specific visa category. The border official reviews your visa and other supporting documents (such as your letter of admission and financial statements) and provides final approval of your entry to the US.  The offical does this by stamping your passport, a small white card called the I-94  and your Form I-20 (for F visas) or DS-2019 (for J visas). This activates your visa status and enables you to be a student at St. Ambrose.