USA Student Visa with conditional admission

[Pt.r]

Hi everyone,

I'm not familiar with US visa regulations. My question is: since I'm still in undergrad, my admission for grad school will most likely be conditional upon completing my undergraduate degree. Will I still be able to apply for a US student visa, or is unconditional admission obligatory?

Thanks!

[TakeruK]

The usual order of things is:

1. You apply for schools during your last year of undergrad (2015-2016).

2. You get an admission offer around Feb-April of 2016. The offers do not usually explicitly say that you must complete your undergrad degree. Instead, it is implied that everything you say in your application is true (i.e. your expected degree date).

3. You make a decision on what school you want to go to.

4. After you make a decision, you begin the paperwork for the school to issue you your I-20 or DS-2019. This usually happens in April/May.

5. You receive your I-20 or DS-2019 and begin the F-1 or J-1 visa application process in your home country at a US embassy/consulate. By now, you will likely have received your degree.

6. You get your F-1 or J-1 visa approved. During the summer, your new school will begin asking you for registration deposit (if necessary), and proof of degree completion when you have it. Sometimes the degree is not conferred until after the new school's school year begins---talk to your school to determine the deadline.

7. Finally, you enter the US no more than 30 days before your new program starts (your visa does not allow you to enter earlier).

It's hard to predict what your visa officer will use to determine eligibility. Your letter of admission from the school will usually not say "conditional acceptance". But by the time you have your appointment, you will likely have finished your undergrad degree requirements (it would be a good idea to get a letter from your current school saying so, if it is not already reflected on your transcript). And by the time you actually enter the US, having the actual degree in hand would be a very good idea (or again, transcript or letter if you don't have the physical degree yet).

Of course, once you are on step 4, stay in contact with your new school's international office to get better advice too!

[Pt.r]

The usual order of things is:

1. You apply for schools during your last year of undergrad (2015-2016).

2. You get an admission offer around Feb-April of 2016. The offers do not usually explicitly say that you must complete your undergrad degree. Instead, it is implied that everything you say in your application is true (i.e. your expected degree date).

3. You make a decision on what school you want to go to.

4. After you make a decision, you begin the paperwork for the school to issue you your I-20 or DS-2019. This usually happens in April/May.

5. You receive your I-20 or DS-2019 and begin the F-1 or J-1 visa application process in your home country at a US embassy/consulate. By now, you will likely have received your degree.

6. You get your F-1 or J-1 visa approved. During the summer, your new school will begin asking you for registration deposit (if necessary), and proof of degree completion when you have it. Sometimes the degree is not conferred until after the new school's school year begins---talk to your school to determine the deadline.

7. Finally, you enter the US no more than 30 days before your new program starts (your visa does not allow you to enter earlier).

It's hard to predict what your visa officer will use to determine eligibility. Your letter of admission from the school will usually not say "conditional acceptance". But by the time you have your appointment, you will likely have finished your undergrad degree requirements (it would be a good idea to get a letter from your current school saying so, if it is not already reflected on your transcript). And by the time you actually enter the US, having the actual degree in hand would be a very good idea (or again, transcript or letter if you don't have the physical degree yet).

Of course, once you are on step 4, stay in contact with your new school's international office to get better advice too!

Thanks for this very informative response!

The problem is that I am supposed to receive my degree only by September. I might be able to receive my degree earlier, by August, but probably not before my visa appointment.

Do you think that's solvable? 

[TakeruK]

It should be okay but you should check with your accepted school once you decide where to go. I applied to my PhD with a BSc (already conferred) and a MSc in progress. I didn't actually get my MSc until November (my PhD program started in September). I needed to provide my MSc in order to officially matriculate, but since it was not being conferred until November, I got a letter from my school that I completed all requirements in late August, just in time to enter the US for PhD program

In either case, I would not worry about this until you decide where to go and you talk to your program to see if this will even be a problem. Really, the most important thing the visa officer would worry about is whether your new school has accepted and admitted you, so an acceptance letter is probably enough. And your new school will do what it can to help you get here.