Documentation, visa and bureaucratic stuff

[Strangefox]

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.

Thanks! Now credit cards seem less scary

[newms]

Thanks! Now credit cards seem less scary

Happy to help. Credit cards can be scary - you just have to make sure you don't charge more than you can manage.

[Bumblebee]

Newms and Bumblebee - thanks a lot for your replies!

You're more than welcome! :-)

[wtncffts]

I haven't been accepted anywhere yet, but I guess I have a question about the visa interview process. It's basically pro forma, right? I mean, as long as you have the documentation from the school,you're good to go? Or can complications arise?

[newms]

I haven't been accepted anywhere yet, but I guess I have a question about the visa interview process. It's basically pro forma, right? I mean, as long as you have the documentation from the school,you're good to go? Or can complications arise?

It's not exactly pro forma. I haven't been accepted anywhere yet either, but from what I've read, in addition to the documentation from the school, you have to demonstrate a few things:

1) That you have a permanent residence in your home country (such as a family home)

2) That you intend to return to your home country on completion of your studies. Now it is possible to stay in America after the student visa is up, but you just have to show them that you don't intend to stay after your studies. So if you own property or have family ties in your home country that you can point to that would show your intent to return, then that would be good.

3) That you have enough funds to cover your studies and life in the US. If you get funding from your school, then they will give you documentation to show the interviewers and that should be enough.

See more information from the State department's website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html

[Strangefox]

2) That you intend to return to your home country on completion of your studies. Now it is possible to stay in America after the student visa is up, but you just have to show them that you don't intend to stay after your studies. So if you own property or have family ties in your home country that you can point to that would show your intent to return, then that would be good.

Oh, so when they ask me: "Will you return home after your studies?" I must reply without hesitation: "Yes, I will!"

I'll remember that!

[iwanttowinanobelaureate]

Ok, so i have a question. I did my undergraduate studies in the US but left to do a Masters degree in a different country- would it be weird that i am going back to the US to do a PhD after a year?

Like since i am supposed to show that I would be go home after my studies which I did a month after graduation - Packed my bags, said bye to friends and headed straight home. Then later decided to pursue a Masters degree in the UK and got accepted into one of the Harvard, Yale, MIT group. Now kind of worried about the visa because the fact that I am going back to the US so early might look like I want to live there or something. Not my fault that the top PhD programs are in the US sigh.

Also wanted to mention it depends on the country you are from- coming from a third world country its very difficult for me to get a student visa.

Dont know it will be a positive that I left the US immediately after undergraduate studies. My teachers told me not to leave the US in case of visa issues but i didn't listen!!!!

[adinutzyc]

Hey! I don't think getting a visa to study in the US should be a problem, though I do not really know.

About credit history, I have been here for 4 years (doing my undergraduate degree) and still haven't gotten any. Anyway, methods of getting it range from having a phone plan (even if you do pay $500 originally, you get then back at some point), getting car insurance to getting a credit card. Which I am going to try to do as soon as I get the time to go to a bank.

I got into WashU also!!!

[Strangefox]

The first thing to do is get your visa...

Fuzzy, I have reread your advice again and was again impressed by your wisdom

I have a couple of new questions:

1) If I happen to renew my visa, will I pay this SEVIS fee again?? Or do I pay it only once? It seems that this fee is huge - $200, I am right? I really hope I will have to pay it only once

2) About renting an appartment: So I will have to pay a down payment. How big is it usually? Let's say an appartment is $500 a month. Do I pay $500 as a down payment or $1000? I realize that it probably depends on who I will rent my apartment from, but how big can the difference be? And does "down payment" mean that this money will cover one (in case of $500) or two (in case of $1000) months of my living in this apartment or is down payment some extra money so that I will have to pay down payment + rent and down payment won't count towards rent??

[fuzzylogician]

Happy to help

1. I believe that you have to pay the SEVIS fee again when you renew your visa. But usually the visa is issued for the duration of the grad program so there is no need to do that. And yes, the visa-related fees are annoyingly high; but they're a monopoly, they get to do that. If it helps (?), there are other, larger, expenses involved in the process to worry about..

2. I imagine that this changes quite a bit from place to place. My anecdotal and perhaps not too helpful knowledge is that the down payment ranges from half a month's rent (that's what I payed) and 1-2 months' rent. That money is kept by the landlord or apartment management company as assurance that you won't cause damage to the apartment and that you'll pay your rent on time, and is returned after a certain time period that should be specified in your lease or at its end. Once you get it back, you can use if towards rent or whatever else you want. Before then, it's not yours to use--rent will be extra money. There are, of course, also places to be found that don't require a down payment. For example, if you're just renting a room in a shared apartment that's already established, chances are that the current/former roommates already payed the down payment. Whoever has the full lease may still require some securities from you, but many times they'll be less than a full down payment that landlords require.

Fuzzy, I have reread your advice again and was again impressed by your wisdom

I have a couple of new questions:

1) If I happen to renew my visa, will I pay this SEVIS fee again?? Or do I pay it only once? It seems that this fee is huge - $200, I am right? I really hope I will have to pay it only once

2) About renting an appartment: So I will have to pay a down payment. How big is it usually? Let's say an appartment is $500 a month. Do I pay $500 as a down payment or $1000? I realize that it probably depends on who I will rent my apartment from, but how big can the difference be? And does "down payment" mean that this money will cover one (in case of $500) or two (in case of $1000) months of my living in this apartment or is down payment some extra money so that I will have to pay down payment + rent and down payment won't count towards rent??

Edited March 9, 2011 by fuzzylogician

[Strangefox]

Happy to help

Thanks a lot!

[Strangefox]

If it helps (?), there are other, larger, expenses involved in the process to worry about..

Oh, and what expenses do you mean exactly?

[fuzzylogician]

Oh, and what expenses do you mean exactly?

Well, the flight ticket, for one. If you need to stay in a hotel a few days while you search for an apartment, that's another. Furnishing a whole apartment, buying all the groceries, cleaning supplies and whatnot that you need to get set up. Renting a truck for transporting your new ikea furniture. Down payments on phones, internet, other services. There are a lot of unexpected expenses when you move to a new country and basically start from scratch.

[Strangefox]

Well, the flight ticket, for one. If you need to stay in a hotel a few days while you search for an apartment, that's another. Furnishing a whole apartment, buying all the groceries, cleaning supplies and whatnot that you need to get set up. Renting a truck for transporting your new ikea furniture. Down payments on phones, internet, other services. There are a lot of unexpected expenses when you move to a new country and basically start from scratch.

Oh, okay, I have already thought about all those things

But what about groceries? Why are THEY so expensive? I usually do not eat much anyways...

[fuzzylogician]

Still, just the staples are expensive. And you want to have more than just the bare minimum--you'd want to have some basics in the cupboard that can sustain you beyond the weekly stop at the grocery store.

Groceries can be more or less expensive, depending on what you eat. Organic can be expensive; I find that vegetables are very expensive, meat is less expensive.. but in the beginning you want to buy some fundamentals to keep in the fridge and that will cost more than other weekly trips to the store later on.

Oh, okay, I have already thought about all those things

But what about groceries? Why are THEY so expensive? I usually do not eat much anyways...

[Strangefox]

Still, just the staples are expensive. And you want to have more than just the bare minimum--you'd want to have some basics in the cupboard that can sustain you beyond the weekly stop at the grocery store.

Groceries can be more or less expensive, depending on what you eat. Organic can be expensive; I find that vegetables are very expensive, meat is less expensive.. but in the beginning you want to buy some fundamentals to keep in the fridge and that will cost more than other weekly trips to the store later on.

So how expensive are vegetables and fruits? Not something exotic, just basic stuff, like apples, carrots, cucumbers, tomatos, cabbage, beet? Are these too very expensive??

[fuzzylogician]

So how expensive are vegetables and fruits? Not something exotic, just basic stuff, like apples, carrots, cucumbers, tomatos, cabbage, beet? Are these too very expensive??

Hmm, I actually haven't gone vegetable-and-fruit shopping in a while.. I get a box of fruit and vegetables delivered to my house every other week (costs $29 and contains a good amount for one person).

Here is a link to the company website, in case you are interested: http://www.bostonorg....com/index.html

If I remember correctly tomatoes can cost $3-5 a pound (=.45 kilo!); apples, carrots, cucumbers would be $2-3 maybe, cabbage and beets I don't know, I would guess 1-2. Any kind of berries, cherries, kiwis, melons, pineapple -- my favorite fruits -- can easily be about 4-5 dollars a pound. It's crazy. It's possible to buy cheaper if you go to farmers' markets. I imagine the prices also vary quite a bit, and I live in an expensive town.

Edited March 10, 2011 by fuzzylogician

[CC139]

Guys, do you know if in order to get the student visa you have to provide means of sufficient funding for all the years of your studies or just for the first year? On the US embassy website of my country, it says that it's just for the first year, however, on the state department website says for the whole duration of the program. Which one is right?

[eklavya]

So how expensive are vegetables and fruits? Not something exotic, just basic stuff, like apples, carrots, cucumbers, tomatos, cabbage, beet? Are these too very expensive??

If I remember correctly tomatoes can cost $3-5 a pound (=.45 kilo!); apples, carrots, cucumbers would be $2-3 maybe, cabbage and beets I don't know, I would guess 1-2. Any kind of berries, cherries, kiwis, melons, pineapple -- my favorite fruits -- can easily be about 4-5 dollars a pound. It's crazy. It's possible to buy cheaper if you go to farmers' markets. I imagine the prices also vary quite a bit, and I live in an expensive town.

ha! - typical east coast price. i was in dc few summers ago in my internship, and man, the prices were incredibly high! ..although they weren't 3-5$ a pound of tomatoes and such. here in the west coast, tomatoes and apples average 1.5$ a pound, carrots about 1$ a pound, cabbages about .7$ a pound, bananas .6$ a pound and so on. the price for fruits and vegetables fluctuates depending on the season. for example, grapes and oranges cost you more during the winter because it's off season for these fruits.

listing here prices of some more grocery items, for your amusement (again, the prices are average): milk - 2.5$ per gallon (1 gallon = approx 3.8 liters); orange juice (best quality = higher pulp percentage) - 3$ for about 2 liters; eggs - 1.5$ a dozen; potato chips - 2.4$ per bag (the normal lays-size packet); sweet corn (fresh, green) - .3$ per pound; sugar - 2$ per pound, and the list goes on and on. and usually, spinach, green garlic, green onion can be somewhat expensive.. ranging 1-2$ per bundle. but living cost is not that expensive (at least around my place). and if you frequent the groceries, go to farmer's market (as suggested above), eat at home and pack your lunch, you will do fine without spending a lot of money.

Guys, do you know if in order to get the student visa you have to provide means of sufficient funding for all the years of your studies or just for the first year? On the US embassy website of my country, it says that it's just for the first year, however, on the state department website says for the whole duration of the program. Which one is right?

the first one - sufficient funding for at least a year. ideally, they want to see that you can enter the US, and be able to survive for at least a year, no matter what. the consulates will know that once you are in, you will find jobs and can make money to support yourself. however, DO NOT tell your interviewer that you will be working on/off campus to make money so that you can support yourself. if you do, that will contradict with the fact that you can support yourself with the funds available for at least a year without having to work or anything. but i assume you have support from the department (stipend, TA/RAship, fellowship, etc). so, it shouldn't be too hard for you to prove that you have enough money for the first year. good luck man! i myself need to go home this summer and get me a new visa.

[CC139]

good luck man! i myself need to go home this summer and get me a new visa.

Thanks a lot for your reply, bhikhaari! I was freaking out because of the large sum of money for the two years (I have some income in my country that we'll keep flowing, so I will not have it all when applying for the visa.

Good luck for you too. You shouldn't have any problems

[Strangefox]

listing here prices of some more grocery items, for your amusement (again, the prices are average): milk - 2.5$ per gallon (1 gallon = approx 3.8 liters); orange juice (best quality = higher pulp percentage) - 3$ for about 2 liters; eggs - 1.5$ a dozen; potato chips - 2.4$ per bag (the normal lays-size packet); sweet corn (fresh, green) - .3$ per pound; sugar - 2$ per pound, and the list goes on and on. and usually, spinach, green garlic, green onion can be somewhat expensive.. ranging 1-2$ per bundle. but living cost is not that expensive (at least around my place). and if you frequent the groceries, go to farmer's market (as suggested above), eat at home and pack your lunch, you will do fine without spending a lot of money.

Thanks a lot for this info! Very useful! I can start calculating my budget right away

By the way, you mentioned the best juice - what brand is that? I love juice

the consulates will know that once you are in, you will find jobs and can make money to support yourself.

Are you sure they know that? You can lose F-1 visa if you work off-campus!

[Strangefox]

Hmm, I actually haven't gone vegetable-and-fruit shopping in a while.. I get a box of fruit and vegetables delivered to my house every other week (costs $29 and contains a good amount for one person).

Here is a link to the company website, in case you are interested: http://www.bostonorg....com/index.html

If I remember correctly tomatoes can cost $3-5 a pound (=.45 kilo!); apples, carrots, cucumbers would be $2-3 maybe, cabbage and beets I don't know, I would guess 1-2. Any kind of berries, cherries, kiwis, melons, pineapple -- my favorite fruits -- can easily be about 4-5 dollars a pound. It's crazy. It's possible to buy cheaper if you go to farmers' markets. I imagine the prices also vary quite a bit, and I live in an expensive town.

Thanks!

By the way, when I am in a supermarket, how will I see which food is organic an which is not?

Organic food is generally more expensive, right?

I guess, if I go to a farmer's market, all food will be organic there, right?

[eklavya]

By the way, you mentioned the best juice - what brand is that? I love juice

it depends on which part of the country you are at - grocery stores have contracts with commercial food producers, and not all stores will have contracts with the same producer. still, brands such as 'minute maid', 'simply orange', 'tropicana' can be seen almost all over the country.

Are you sure they know that? You can lose F-1 visa if you work off-campus!

they know that most international students cannot afford the high cost of tuition and living in the US, because most of them are from third world countries. the funds students show to the consulate during visa interview is barely enough after the first year. therefore, the only option then is to work on and off campus. working off campus is of course illegal, if it's not some kind of internship, co-op, etc. however the consulates also know that many students will apply for and receive scholarships, fellowships, etc. so in the end, it all works out - regardless of the student getting scholarships and/or working on/off campus. still, you don't tell the consulate that you will be working.. even on campus.

Thanks!

By the way, when I am in a supermarket, how will I see which food is organic an which is not?

Organic food is generally more expensive, right?

I guess, if I go to a farmer's market, all food will be organic there, right?

the organic foods will either be labeled as 'organic'. or all organic foods will be grouped in a separate section together. yes, organic foods are slightly more expensive.

will all food in farmer's market be organic? this depends on your definition of organic foods. and there's a huge debate over this. but all foods here will not be organic, in general, food in farmer's market tend to be produced by farmers in low-scale, with extra care and love, if you will. the food will definitely be more fresh, and somewhat cheaper, but you never know if the farmer pumped tons of pesticides and fertilizers into the crops, or if he did it the 'organic' way. still, food in the farmers market taste a lot better than the commercially produced food you find in grocery stores.

[Strangefox]

it depends on which part of the country you are at - grocery stores have contracts with commercial food producers, and not all stores will have contracts with the same producer. still, brands such as 'minute maid', 'simply orange', 'tropicana' can be seen almost all over the country.

Thanks!

still, you don't tell the consulate that you will be working.. even on campus.

Even as a TA??

still, food in the farmers market taste a lot better than the commercially produced food you find in grocery stores.

Well, I think that if it tastes better, and it TASTES (I mean is not tasteless like grass) - then it must be organic

[eklavya]

Even as a TA??

of course, TA is fine. but i think TA/RA-ship is covered by the contract/agreement we sign. so if the consulate asks you 'will you work?' - just say that you have TA/RA obligations. never ever say you will work other jobs on or off campus. but don't worry, grad students aren't grilled as hard as they grill undergrads who are applying for a visa.

Edited March 10, 2011 by bhikhaari