Non-Immigrant Visas
Student Visas F-1 and M-1
Our doors and our educational institutions remain open to all qualified students from around the world. The United States is proud of an educational system that attracts more than a half million international students and scholars to our campuses.
President Bush underscored our country's welcome when he said, "we encourage international students to take part in our educational system ...the relationships that are formed between individuals from different countries, as part of international education program and exchanges...foster goodwill that develops into vibrant, mutually beneficial partnerships among nations."
Applicants for student visas (F-1 visas for academic students; M-1 visas for vocational students), must apply in person at the U.S. Embassy. To schedule an appointment, please click here.
For a list of required application forms and supporting documents, please click here.
Please note that if you are a returning student whose F-1 student visa has expired, or if you are changing schools to another U.S. college or university, you do not need to present all pages of the original form I-20; you only need to present page 4 of the I-20 with the original current endorsement of the school's advisor. Regardless of whether you are a first-time or returning student, you must always present documentary evidence of finances every time you apply for a student visa at the U.S. Embassy in Athens. The financial documentation required depends upon the source of funds for your education. Please refer to the chart below:
| If funds are coming from: | You need: |
| Scholarship or loan | Item 7 on form I-20 completed by student advisor |
| Family in Greece | Original letter from your bank stating that your account contains enough funds for the current year of studies as mentioned on form I-20. The letter must be specific regarding the amount of funds available. |
| Family in U.S. | Affidavit of support, bank statement, and most recent tax return of your American sponsor |
| On-campus employment | Item 7 on form I-20 completed by student advisor |
Students should note that the Embassy is able to issue your student visa 120 days or less, in advance of the course of study registration date. If you apply for your visa more than 120 days prior to your start date or registration date as provided on the Form I-20, the Embassy will hold your application until it is able to issue the visa. Students are advised of the Department of Homeland Security regulation which requires that all initial or beginning students enter the U.S. 30 days or less in advance of the course of study start/report date as shown on the Form I-20. Please consider this date carefully when making travel plans to the U.S.
Attending Public School in the U.S.: A law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996, Section 214(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), prohibits the issuance of F-1 student visas to persons planning to attend public elementary schools and publicly-funded adult education programs. Section 214(l) INA also restricts F-1 visas for public secondary schools (grades 7-12) to a maximum period of 12 months and requires the applicant to reimburse the school for the full-unsubsidized per capita cost of the education before the visa may be issued. Applicants for F-1 visas who fall into this last category must present proof, at the time of the visa interview, that they have fully reimbursed the school district.