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Visa & Arrival

Apply For Your Student Visa

MEI students who live outside the U.S. need an F-1 student visa. To apply:

  • Send in your application to the Maryland English Institute.
  • Wait to receive an acceptance letter and Certificate of Eligibility (an I-20 form).
  • After you receive the I-20 form, pay the SEVIS fee online.
  • Schedule a visa appointment at the U.S. embassy or consulate closest to you.
  • Pay the visa application fee online.

At the visa interview, bring:

  • the I-20 form and acceptance letter from MEI
  • completed visa application form DS-156 and DS-158 (available at the embassy)
  • one 2” x 2” photograph in correct format of each person applying for a visa
  • a passport good for at least 6 months longer than your planned stay in the U.S.
  • a receipt showing you have paid the visa application fee for each person applying
  • a receipt showing you have paid the SEVIS fee
  • records showing enough money to pay tuition and living expenses during your visit
  • transcripts and diplomas from previous schools you have attended

At the visa interview, be prepared to show you plan to return to your home country after finishing your U.S. studies and to explain your reasons for wanting to study in the U.S.
 

Arriving in the U.S.

Plan to arrive at one of these airports:

  • Baltimore-Washington International Airport (Airport Code: BWI)
  • Washington Dulles International Airport (Airport Code: IAD)
  • Washington National Airport (Airport Code: DCA)

After your airplane lands in the U.S.:

  • You will show your F-1 visa, I-20 form, and your passport to an immigration officer.
  • The officer may ask you about your plans. You must be planning to study in the U.S.
  • The officer will write “F-1 D/S” on your I-20 and give the I-20 back to you.
  • The officer will attach a small white card (the I-94) to your passport.
  • The officer will scan your fingerprints and take your photograph.
  • The officer will tell you when he or she is finished.
  • Always keep your I-20 and I-94 card with your passport.

Arriving at the Maryland English Institute

MEI is on the third floor of Susquehanna Hall in room 3117, shown on the map below:

Document Check

At the beginning of the semester, the University of Maryland’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) will check your documents to make sure all immigration rules are followed.

For this document check session, please bring the following:

Your original:

  • Passport
  • Visa (F-1, F-2 or J-1, J-2)
  • Form I-20 if you have an F-1 or F-2 visa
  • Form DS-2019 if you have a J-1 or J-2 visa
  • I-94

Clear photocopies of:

  • Passport identification page with your photo and passport expiration date
  • Visa
  • White I-94 Departure card with a clear image of the INS stamp
  • I-20, page 3, with a clear image of the red INS stamp (in the upper right-hand corner)

Also:

  • Letter of admission from MEI or the University of Maryland
  • Local address and telephone number of a friend or relative in the U.S.
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