F-1 student visa costs 2026: fees, I-20, timing and interview

What you pay

There are two fees to plan for: the State Department’s visa application fee and the SEVIS I-901 fee listed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A third fee applies only to some nationalities.

Before you pay, check the State Department’s Proclamation 10998 page: F student visas are suspended for nationals of some countries.

Together, the visa application fee and the SEVIS fee come to $535 (our sum), before any issuance fee.

The SEVIS I-901 fee

SEVIS is an ICE database, and your Form I-20 is a paper record of your information in it. The I-901 SEVIS fee for F-1 students is $350.

• Pay it before you go to your visa interview at a US embassy or consulate.
• Allow at least three business days for the payment to be received and verified.
• You’ll need the information on your Form I-20 to pay it.

The visa integrity fee: not on the fee schedule

A US “visa integrity fee” was created by law (H.R. 1), but as of 26 October 2026 the State Department’s fee schedule didn’t list it or give an amount. The only application fee the schedule listed for student visas was $185.

In a Federal Register notice on 22 July 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, said the fee needed coordination between agencies and would be implemented in a future publication. Check the fee schedule and the website of the embassy or consulate where you’ll apply before you pay.

Two other charges don’t apply to F-1 students: the $750 expedited-appointment pilot is for B visa applicants, and visa bonds apply to people otherwise eligible for B1/B2 visitor visas.

Your Form I-20

The Form I-20, or Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, comes from your US school once it has accepted you. The school must be certified by SEVP (the Student and Exchange Visitor Program) to admit nonimmigrant (international) students. A Designated School Official (DSO) there issues the form in your name after entering your information in SEVIS.

You need the information on your I-20 to pay the SEVIS fee, and the I-20 itself to apply for your F-1 visa.

How early you can get the visa and travel

• For a new student, the visa can be issued up to 365 days before your course start date.
• You can’t enter the US on your student visa more than 30 days before that start date.

So you can get your visa well ahead, but plan to arrive no more than 30 days before your course begins.

The visa interview

Interviews are generally required for student visas. Since 1 October 2025, the State Department says nonimmigrant visa applicants generally need an in-person interview with a consular officer. The exceptions cover diplomatic and official visas, a few similar categories, and some renewals of B and H-2A visas within 12 months; F student visas aren’t among them. Consular officers can also require an in-person interview case by case, for any reason.

Where to book your interview

A State Department notice, last updated on 15 July 2026, says to book your visa interview at the US embassy or consulate in your country of nationality or residence. If the US isn’t running routine visa services in your country, you apply at the embassy or consulate the State Department has designated, unless you live somewhere else. The notice links to the list of designated posts.

If you apply anywhere else, it warns that it may be harder to qualify, and the fees won’t be refunded or transferred.

In Africa, routine visa services for 25 US embassies and consulates moved to 20 regional hubs from 1 August 2026. Citizens and residents of the affected countries book their appointment and pay the visa fee at the designated hub. The change covers all routine visa services, both nonimmigrant and immigrant. Check the hub embassy’s own website before you book or pay.

The same notice says visa suspensions designated by Presidential Proclamation 10998 remain in place.

This guide sums up the official pages as checked in October 2026. Visa rules depend on your nationality and situation, so follow the State Department’s instructions and the website of the embassy or consulate where you’ll apply.