Visas for courses in U.S.A.

Whether or not you will require a visa to take an English course in the U.S.A. will depend on your nationality and the duration of your course.

Visa Waiver Programme

The U.S. government does operate a Visa Waiver Programme which allows citizens of the following countries to visit the U.S.A. for up to 90 days without having to arrange a visa:

Please note that if you are a citizen of one of these countries, you will need to complete the online Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). This is free and can be completed any time before you travel. Your passport must remain valid for a period of 6 months after your intended departure from the U.S.A. and you will also normally need an e-passport/machine-readable passport.

B2 Visitor Visa

If you are not a citizen of a Visa Waiver country and wish to study for a period of 1-12 weeks, you should apply for a B2 Visitor Visa. In order to apply for this visa:

– You must have the finances to cover your expenses whilst in the U.S.
– You must have a home/residence outside the U.S. and have other social and economic reasons to go home after your stay.

If you are aged 14-79 years you will need to attend an interview at your local American Embassy or Consulate. Waiting times for interviews can vary considerably, so it is recommended that you apply for an interview at your earliest convenience. Please contact your local American Embassy or Consulate for further information. When you go for your interview, you must take the following with you:

• A passport valid for travel to the U.S.A. which will remain valid for at least 6 months after your intended return from the U.S.A.
• A photograph which must be:
  • 5cm x 5cm
  • In colour with a plain white background
  • No glasses may be worn unless they are prescription glasses
• Visa application fee (approximately 140 USD) which is payable directly to the Embassy/ Consulate
• Letter of invitation from the language school (which will be sent to you upon receipt of your full payment by bank transfer)

Student visa

Boston and Los Angeles
If you intend to take the Intensive course of 24 lessons per week at either of these schools, you will need to apply for the F-1 student visa, regardless of the duration you wish to take the course for. For this, you will require an I-20 form which the school will send upon confirmation of your booking. The application process varies depending on the country in which you apply for your visa and, therefore, you are strongly encouraged to contact your local U.S. Consulate or Embassy for further information.

New York
If you choose to study at our school in New York, it is not possible to arrange a student visa. Therefore, if you are not a citizen of a Visa Waiver Programme country, then you will need to arrange a B2 Visitor Visa (please see above for further information on this).

If you do wish to take a course for a longer duration than 12 weeks, Boston or Los Angeles would be the best choices as you should be able to arrange a student visa if taking at least 24 lessons per week. Our school in New York is a great option for courses of 1-12 weeks, but as you will not be able to arrange a student visa to attend this school, for many students it may be an issue trying to arrange a suitable visa for longer than this.

Visas can be complicated, but we hope that this has given you a better understanding of which type you will require (if any).

Please note that the information is correct at the time of writing, but do always strongly advise that you consult your local U.S. Consulate or Embassy with regards to specific visa requirements.

Anne Marie