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International Students

• Prospective Students
  • How to Apply to Penn State
  • Attending Penn State in Other Visa Status
  • Coming to Penn State from Another U.S. Institution
  • Pre–Arrival Guide for New International Students
  • Prospective Student Advising
• Orientation/Housing
  • New International Student Orientation
  • Housing Information
• Current Students
  • Maintaining Immigration Status
  • Employment Information
  • Social Security Information
  • Travel
  • Tax Information
  • PA Driver's License/State I.D.
  • Dependents/Family Members
  • Address Updates
  • Current Student Advising
• How to Request I-20/DS-2019
• Obtaining Student Visa
• Financial Information
• Forms
• Student Workshops/Training Sessions
• Student Resources at Penn State
• International Student Programming & Activities
• Programs Supporting International Students
• Contacts at Non-University Park Campuses
• FAQs
• Other Important Links:
• Global Connections
• International Scholars and Faculty Services
• Office of Post Doctoral Affairs
• International Student Advising Home

 

Application for Visa Document

This document is required of Prospective International Students who have been admitted to Penn State that are or will be in the United States on a student visa. Once admitted, the students will be contacted by a Pre-Arrival Coordinator and asked to:

1. Complete the Application for Visa Document* form. To complete this form, please fill out the following sections of this application:
   • Personal Information
   • Visa Information
   • Type of Penn State visa document you are requesting
   • Your marital status and biographical information on any dependents
   • Financial Certification section
     • Source and amount of funding for your first year of study
     • Source and amount of funding for future years of study
     • Signature of your financial sponsor (the person whose name is on the bank statement or bank letter)
     • If your financial sponsor prefers, they can provide an alternate Affidavit of Support.
   • Mailing address for shipping your document
   • Permanent home address (must be outside of the USA)

2. Provide a financial guarantee for the entire first year's annual amount required based on your Penn State location and semester to which you have been admitted.

   Please note: Individuals remaining in their current non-immigrant status do not have to provide a financial guarantee. This does not apply to those in or applying for F-1 or J-1 status.

   A financial guarantee is normally in the form of a current bank statement or bank letter on official bank stationery. In order for us to consider using stocks, bonds or other equities as a financial guarantee, the statement of value must be no more than one week old and we can accept only 70% of the total amount.

3. If you are currently in the United States on any visa type or if you have recently been in the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 student status and will have been outside the U.S. for less than 5 months before beginning study at Penn State, we also need you to submit copies of the following:
   • Passport photo page
   • Visa
   • Both sides of your I-94 (the I-94 is a small arrival/departure card that you fill out each time you enter the USA)
   • All pages of all I-20s or DS-2019s (including the one that was stamped at the port of entry)

*Do not have your F-1 or J-1 record in SEVIS released to us until we send you a special form to use.