Receiving your visa

Schedule the visa interview:

• Complete the visa application form DS-160 External link.
• Have a photograph taken following the photo requirements and attach it to the DS-160 form.
• Complete the I-901 form and pay the U.S. $200 SEVIS I-901 fee External link
  • Have on hand your SEVIS number printed on the upper right-hand corner of the I-20 form and the Columbia College school code:
    • Columbia, MO: KAN214F00119000
    • Elgin, IL: KAN214F00119001
    • Denver, CO: DEN214F00489000
    • Salt Lake City, UT: DEN214F10253000
  • Print the receipt to provide when you attend your interview.
• Schedule a visa interview appointment at a U.S. Consulate External link.

Prepare for the visa interview

• Contact an EducationUSA Advising Office External link regarding the interview for helpful hints and resources.
• Carefully review the U.S. Department of State Visa preparation External link section.
• Be prepared to answer questions about why you chose Columbia College.
• Review the program information for your major or discipline.
• Know some facts about the city of Columbia and why it is such an attractive place to live and go to school.
  • Visit the City of Columbia External link and Visitor’s Bureau External link Web sites.
  • Review Columbia history and facts External link.
  • Review information about Columbia College.
  • Be sure to show non-immigrant intent and ties to your home country.
  • Double check with the embassy that you are interviewing at to see if any extra documentation is needed.

The day before the interview

Gather the following documents to take with you to your visa interview appointment:

• Passport (valid for at least 6 months from the date of interview)
• I-20 form
• Receipt for the paid SEVIS fee
• Visa application fee receipt
• Interview appointment letter
• Application forms (DS-156,DS-157,DS-158)
• Supporting bank/financial documents
• Degrees, diplomas, certificates and/or transcripts
• English proficiency test scores, if available (TOEFL, IELTS)
• Admission test scores if available (SAT, ATC, GRE, GMAT)
• Photograph

The day of the interview

• Collect all the materials you gathered the day before the interview.
• Arrive to the interview early to ensure you arrive on time.
• Follow the instructions provided at the consulate.
• Sit for your interview.
• Let your admissions counselor know how your interview went.

After receiving a visa

• Visit an EducationUSA External link office for additional assistance and travel preparation.
• Schedule your trip to Columbia.
• Columbia College will pick you up from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport External link (airport code STL) or from Columbia Regional Airport External link (airport code COU).
  Pick-ups require arriving on selected days and coordinating arrival information with the International Center.
• Be sure to schedule your flight with enough time to arrive by the beginning International Student Orientation.
• Submit your travel itinerary to the International Center, including:
  • Arrival Airport
  • Airline
  • Final arriving flight number
  • Date and time of arrival
  • Phone number during travel

  Label the subject/title of your e-mail with your full name and "New Student Arrival".