Documentation, visa and bureaucratic stuff

[tunicoberno]

Hi, I just got an acceptance at BME in Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) with full tuition + finantial support (astonishing great news for me =D).

Now I am worried about getting visa, international driver's license, bank account, place to live and all that stuff.

Someone with more experience could detail this process?

Thanks!

[newms]

On 2/3/2011 at 7:08 PM, tunicoberno said:

Hi, I just got an acceptance at BME in Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) with full tuition + finantial support (astonishing great news for me =D).

Now I am worried about getting visa, international driver's license, bank account, place to live and all that stuff.

Someone with more experience could detail this process?

Thanks!

Congrats on your acceptance and funding! I haven't gone through the process (yet) but from what I've read the school should be able to help you get your visa - you will need to get documentation from them before you can get your student visa, so as soon as you have decided where to go and accepted the admission, you should contact your department about how to go about getting your student visa. I'm planning on getting a bank account and driver's licence when I reach wherever I'm hopefully going - most states (if not all) allow foreign students to get driver's licences, so you don't need an international one. Finding a place is going to be tricky, because you have to start from very early, because a lot of the good rentals near to a college are taken by returning students early in the year, so I'm not entirely sure how I'd go about finding housing. I'd hate to have to commit to a place before I've seen it in person - perhaps a visit (if possible) to the city of your school a few months before you go for grad studies could help you find a place for the fall. Schools often have a lot of housing information (both on-campus and off-campus) on their websites and some schools have listings where approved landlords can post places that are available to staff and students to rent/lease. Perhaps you can look for such a listing on your schools website, or contact the department or international student services about advice for where to live.

I just googled your school and found this: http://oisshome.wustl.edu/students/new/newindex.html It seems to answer a lot of your questions.

[fuzzylogician]

The first thing to do is get your visa. Your school should send you visa forms depending on the kind of visa that you'll get (an I-20 form for an F-1 visa, or a DS-2019 form for a J-1 visa). Your I-20 will contain your SEVIS number, which you need to schedule an interview at the US embassy in your country. There are other forms you need to fill out which may change from country to country, so you should read the requirements on the US embassy website for your country. If I remember correctly you need to fill out a visa application - DS-156, DS-158, in some cases also DS-157 and/or DS-160 - and to have visa-approved photos (the website will have instructions on that). You also need to pay the SEVIS fee and the visa application fee and bring the receipts with you to the interview. In the interview you'll need to prove that you have enough funding to support yourself while in the US; your school will send you documents detailing how much support you will from them, and they will tell you if you need to provide bank statements for any additional funds.

After you have the visa, you can use it to enter the US up to 30 days before your program begins (according to the date on your I-20). There are several ways to find a place to live - some people sign up for dorms. Others find a short summer sublet or live at a cheap motel and search once they get to their new city. Sometimes you can find an acquaintance or current student who will host you while you search. It's possible, but not recommended *at all*, to find a place from afar; if you try that, you should at least have someone you trust see the place in person for you and send you pictures. you should not sign a lease for a place sight unseen. Home owners in university towns are versed in renting to international students so it's not too hard to find a place that doesn't require a credit history, though some options may be limited and you may be required to pay higher down payments than others. Apartments in the US (unlike dorms) usually come unfurnished, so you'll also need to buy furniture. You can rent a U-Haul and drive to the nearest ikea or find used stuff on craigslist. There may be other local options that you should ask students in your department about.

Opening a bank account it easy. Some schools have credit unions that are very good at catering to the needs of students and will know how to handle an application from a foreign student. Large banks like Bank of America and others will also know what to do. You should ask about branch availability near your university; current students will be able to give you good recommendations. Once you have an account, get checks and a debit card. You should learn about how American credit cards work before you get one.

For utilities, phone, internet, etc - you can do all that without a SSN, but you may be required to pay a large down payment.

You issue an international driver's license in your home country, if I am not mistaken. However, I'm not sure you necessarily need one. Check out the agreements between your country and the US - in some cases your license from home will suffice. You should get a local US license once you move. States differ in how long they allow you to drive with your foreign license, you should find out the specific rules for your case. It can be anything from 10 days to 3 months or more. You'll have to retake the theory exam, get a driving permit and take a practical exam. You do all that at your local DMV. You may need a SSN, or a waiver if you can't get a SSN, to start this process. You should be able to find all the details on the DMV website.

[newms]

The first thing to do is get your visa. Your school should send you visa forms depending on the kind of visa that you'll get (an I-20 form for an F-1 visa, or a DS-2019 form for a J-1 visa). Your I-20 will contain your SEVIS number, which you need to schedule an interview at the US embassy in your country. There are other forms you need to fill out which may change from country to country, so you should read the requirements on the US embassy website for your country. If I remember correctly you need to fill out a visa application - DS-156, DS-158, in some cases also DS-157 and/or DS-160 - and to have visa-approved photos (the website will have instructions on that). You also need to pay the SEVIS fee and the visa application fee and bring the receipts with you to the interview. In the interview you'll need to prove that you have enough funding to support yourself while in the US; your school will send you documents detailing how much support you will from them, and they will tell you if you need to provide bank statements for any additional funds.

After you have the visa, you can use it to enter the US up to 30 days before your program begins (according to the date on your I-20). There are several ways to find a place to live - some people sign up for dorms. Others find a short summer sublet or live at a cheap motel and search once they get to their new city. Sometimes you can find an acquaintance or current student who will host you while you search. It's possible, but not recommended *at all*, to find a place from afar; if you try that, you should at least have someone you trust see the place in person for you and send you pictures. you should not sign a lease for a place sight unseen. Home owners in university towns are versed in renting to international students so it's not too hard to find a place that doesn't require a credit history, though some options may be limited and you may be required to pay higher down payments than others. Apartments in the US (unlike dorms) usually come unfurnished, so you'll also need to buy furniture. You can rent a U-Haul and drive to the nearest ikea or find used stuff on craigslist. There may be other local options that you should ask students in your department about.

Opening a bank account it easy. Some schools have credit unions that are very good at catering to the needs of students and will know how to handle an application from a foreign student. Large banks like Bank of America and others will also know what to do. You should ask about branch availability near your university; current students will be able to give you good recommendations. Once you have an account, get checks and a debit card. You should learn about how American credit cards work before you get one.

For utilities, phone, internet, etc - you can do all that without a SSN, but you may be required to pay a large down payment.

You issue an international driver's license in your home country, if I am not mistaken. However, I'm not sure you necessarily need one. Check out the agreements between your country and the US - in some cases your license from home will suffice. You should get a local US license once you move. States differ in how long they allow you to drive with your foreign license, you should find out the specific rules for your case. It can be anything from 10 days to 3 months or more. You'll have to retake the theory exam, get a driving permit and take a practical exam. You do all that at your local DMV. You may need a SSN, or a waiver if you can't get a SSN, to start this process. You should be able to find all the details on the DMV website.

I'm keeping this for when I (hopefully) move.

[fuzzylogician]

I'm keeping this for when I (hopefully) move.

Glad to help

I should add that in my department many of us have other students from the department as roommates. That's very convenient for many reasons, not the least of which is that it weeds out most of the crazies and it ensures that you are living with someone who you know has funding and who is generally interested in the same things as you and has a similar schedule. It doesn't guarantee you'll get along, but it mostly works great in our case. You could try to find out if someone in your department or any of the admitted applicants are looking for a roommate. In some cases you could have an arrangement where you share an apartment with an American student who can come earlier and do most/all of the apartment-hunting, or with someone who already has a place and is just looking to replace a roommate. Again, there is some trust/luck element involved here. The idea of coming early for a visit and finding a place is also great, if you can afford it. And again, you should ask current students for advice about available places, where they recommend living (or avoiding), how much rent should generally be, etc.

Edited February 4, 2011 by fuzzylogician

[Bumblebee]

Wow, fuzzylogician!!! I came here to see if I could help but I don't think there's anything else that needs to be added. That was quite impressive!

[fuzzylogician]

Wow, fuzzylogician!!! I came here to see if I could help but I don't think there's anything else that needs to be added. That was quite impressive!

Thanks.. *grins* it's a monument to my compulsive need to know every potentially relevant detail for planning my future and my unfortunate memory of no-longer-necessary information I had once spent time researching

(Edit: and it also says something about my procrastination vs. work preferences..)

Edited February 4, 2011 by fuzzylogician

[Kathiza]

What about cellphone contracts? Does anyone have any recommendation for international students? (f.ex. with cheap international calls - to Europe in my case)

[Bumblebee]

Thanks.. *grins* it's a monument to my compulsive need to know every potentially relevant detail for planning my future and my unfortunate memory of no-longer-necessary information I had once spent time researching

(Edit: and it also says something about my procrastination vs. work preferences..)

Ha, ha, ha :-)

What about cellphone contracts? Does anyone have any recommendation for international students? (f.ex. with cheap international calls - to Europe in my case)

Well, for cheap international calls our best friend is Skype. I use it to talk to my family. If they are connected to Skype, it's free. If they are not (or if I'm calling someone that doesn't have Skype) it's 3 cents/min. I think (my calls are to Spain).

As for contracts, well, it depends on your needs. I use prepaid for two reasons: first, I don't spend enough so that the contract is worth it; secondly, I don't have credit history in the US (yet) so I had to leave a deposit of $500. Since I had to pay rent, food, books, some tuition, etc. I decided not to do it and keep my prepaid card.

[Kathiza]

I'm sorry, I already read this serveral times here on this forum, but I didn't understand: What's a "credit history"? I mean I understand the words, but I thought this just meant that you never had a credit in the US - obviously this is not the case?

[Vacuum]

I'm sorry, I already read this serveral times here on this forum, but I didn't understand: What's a "credit history"? I mean I understand the words, but I thought this just meant that you never had a credit in the US - obviously this is not the case?

I believe they mean they don't have a credit card in the states linked to a US bank account. The bank needs to see that you can pay off your credit card to build 'credit history' with the bank, so that they trust you to make payments on other things -- like cellphones for example!

[newms]

I'm sorry, I already read this serveral times here on this forum, but I didn't understand: What's a "credit history"? I mean I understand the words, but I thought this just meant that you never had a credit in the US - obviously this is not the case?

Credit history is a record of your borrowing and repaying. So having a credit card, a mortgage, taking out a loan all contribute to your credit history. Banks will look at your credit history - ie how good it is, in determining whether to give you a load or credit card or mortgage and in determining if you should get a favorable interest rate. Good credit history is needed usually to take out a cell phone contract, so the phone companies know that you will pay your bills on time.

[Strangefox]

Credit history is a record of your borrowing and repaying. So having a credit card, a mortgage, taking out a loan all contribute to your credit history. Banks will look at your credit history - ie how good it is, in determining whether to give you a load or credit card or mortgage and in determining if you should get a favorable interest rate. Good credit history is needed usually to take out a cell phone contract, so the phone companies know that you will pay your bills on time.

And what if I never borrow money from a bank?? I never do it in my country, I do not like paying interest! Does it mean that I will be stuck with no credit history and will have problems because of that?

[tunicoberno]

btw, what is POI?

[Strangefox]

btw, what is POI?

Person of interest.

[Bumblebee]

And what if I never borrow money from a bank?? I never do it in my country, I do not like paying interest! Does it mean that I will be stuck with no credit history and will have problems because of that?

Well, I wouldn't call it problems, problems, but you will find yourself paying deposits for a lot of things. I have that problem. I don't have a credit card, and due to certain circumstances, I haven't had to pay bills or anything of that sort yet, so I don't have credit history and that's why they told me at AT&T that I had to pay $500 of deposit (which sucks). So now I'm trying to find ways to build credit history. Next semester I'll start having bills on my name and I'm considering trying to get one of those training credit cards to pay small things (a book, one week's groceries, dinner at a restaurant, etc.). I still need to figure out how that works exactly, though.

I hate credit cards. I have one that I got from my bank in my country to use when I travel abroad and to pay plane tickets (it has an additional insurance). But that's the only time I use it. I've had it for several years already and I don't like using it unless absolutely necessary. I think credit cards' evil side is way bigger than their good side. Plus, if I don't have the money, why should I spend it?. I don't think I should be penalized for not having a credit card. It means I don't spend more than what I have.

[newms]

And what if I never borrow money from a bank?? I never do it in my country, I do not like paying interest! Does it mean that I will be stuck with no credit history and will have problems because of that?

Well everyone who comes to the US as a foreign student would be starting with no credit. There are ways to build up credit...I think some stores will allow you to buy furniture or other goods on hire purchase and once you make your payments on time, you will start to build up good credit. You can try to get utility bills in your name, if you pay on time that will add to your credit rating. You should try to open a bank account and try to get a secured credit card - that way you cant spend more on your card than you've already put in the bank, so it's easier to get than a regular credit card. Pay the bills on time and it adds to your credit rating.

It sucks really that credit is so important in America, but that's just the way it is. Just don't bite off more than you can handle and you'll be alright.

[Kathiza]

So it's not problem for internationals to get a credit card?

And what about paying rent - does this count as credit history?

[newms]

So it's not problem for internationals to get a credit card?

And what about paying rent - does this count as credit history?

I don't think it'll be easy to get a credit card - at least at first. You'd have to build up credit rating first. you may be able to get a secure credit card, where you put a certain amount of money in the bank and you can't charge more on your card than what you've put in the bank.

I don't think lease payments add to your credit rating unless you default and get evicted. I may be wrong though.

[Strangefox]

Newms and Bumblebee - thanks a lot for your replies!

[fuzzylogician]

Credit history is a record of your past borrowing and repayment of loans. The easiest way to think of American credit cards, in my opinion, is that using them basically means taking a loan from whichever company issued the card--which doesn't have to be a bank. It's your job to repay the loan each month *in full*, or else you'll be charged (often very high) interest on your debt and your credit score will suffer. Your credit will improve if you pay everything on time. AFAIK things like rent and utilities aren't usually payed with credit cards, so they won't help you build your credit history...but you should still pay them on time, of course. You can start by getting a secured credit card; using one would mean that you first make a deposit of say $500 or $1000 and then that's the limit of how much you can spend on the card. Some banks will also issue regular cards with a low limit (my credit union did that when I just arrived, obviously without any credit history). You then put small amounts on that card, like one week's groceries, and pay them off in full on time. After a year or two (or three?) I think you're supposed to already have a decent credit score. If you don't plan on staying the US after you graduate, or doing things like buying a house or a car while you're studying, you may not need to worry about your credit history at all; some people will still get a credit card 'just in case,' though, since it's a way to take out a fast 'loan' for unexpected emergencies like medical bills, if you don't have any other way of paying for them. You'll pay high interest on a credit card 'loan', though, and I would not recommend thinking that it's a good strategy for dealing with emergencies. For things like contracts with phone companies you will need to pay a deposit, which you'll get back (with interest) after a while (a year, I think) when they see that you pay your bills on time. In general I usually advise people to start with a prepaid phone, since you likely won't need to use the phone that often anyway and a plan could end up costing more than the pay-as-you-go rates. Finding an apartment without a credit history can be a bit more tricky but it's still possible, since as we all know foreign students arrive without a credit score at all and obviously all manage to find places to live.

[Strangefox]

Credit history is a record of your past borrowing and repayment of loans.

The thing that puzzles me is that I thought international students can't take loans! Like, at all!

You then put small amounts on that card, like one week's groceries, and pay them off in full on time.

I don't really understand this

How can I put groceries on a credit card?

I've dealt very little with the system of credit, let alone the American one! So I might ask stupid questions, sorry

[newms]

The thing that puzzles me is that I thought international students can't take loans! Like, at all!

There are many types of loans. Maybe we can't take a loan from a bank at first, but maybe a shop would give an international student the option of buying furniture by paying in payments - that's credit or a form of loan. Similarly, so is a secured credit card - although for that you would have already paid the maximum you could owe to the bank before you get the card as a form of security in case you default on making payments. Once you close the secured credit card you get back your original deposit (the $500 or $1000 fuzzy mentions above)

I don't really understand this

How can I put groceries on a credit card?

I've dealt very little with the system of credit, let alone the American one! So I might ask stupid questions, sorry

I think fuzzy means that you put small money charges on the card - such as the amount you'd spend weekly at the grocery shop (i.e. you use the card rather than cash to pay small amounts). Then you make the payment back on the card on time and in full, and you'd build a good credit reputation as someone who pays their bills on time and in full.

Edited February 6, 2011 by newms

[Strangefox]

I think fuzzy means that you put small money charges on the card - such as the amount you's spend weekly at the grocery shop (i.e. you use the card rather than cash to pay small amounts). Then you make the payment back on the card on time and in full, and you'd build a good credit reputation as someone who pays their bills on time and in full.

I see. And I will have to pay interest, right? I mean, I take credit, then I pay back the sum plus some more money? Is in inevitable?

[newms]

I see. And I will have to pay interest, right? I mean, I take credit, then I pay back the sum plus some more money? Is in inevitable?

If you pay the balance before the due date, then there isn't usually an interest charge. You usually only get hit with interest when you charge more than you can pay back at once and so you have to only pay a portion of the balance - the minimum payment (or more - its never recommended to just pay the minimum amount). That's why in this scenario, you would use the card for small amounts - so the charges don't get too much that you can't pay it off all at once.