What is a visa?
A visa is an official endorsement to enter a country of which you are not a legal resident. The visa will stipulate the amount of time you are permitted to remain, the status under which your stay is designated, and the activities in which you are allowed to engage while you are in the country on that status. It is usually in the form of a stamp or sticker affixed to one of the pages of the passport.
*Some of our programs require you to apply for a visa before you depart.
What is a Consulate General?
The Consular Section of a country’s Embassy works specifically with issues related to travel into and out of that country. Most Embassies have a “Consular Services” office in Washington DC, along with several Consulate General or Vice Honorary Consulate offices around the U.S. covering different regions. Some visa applications may require an in-person visit to the regional office that has jurisdiction in your area.
What documents will I need to collect in order to apply for the visa?
A list of required documents will be sent to you by your AFS USA Visa Team. You will also need to contact your consulate for a finalized list of requirements.
Do I need to travel for my in-person visa appointment?
Some visa applications may require an in-person visit to the regional office that has jurisdiction in your area. In some cases, there might not be an office available in your immediate community and you will be required to travel to a different state for the in-person appointment. Be prepare to fly or drive long distances if the circumstances require.
What happens if I don’t get my visa in time?
Unfortunately, these scenarios do happen. Since Consular Officials issue visas, AFS has no control over the process itself. When these situations occur and aren’t the fault of the student, (i.e. applying for a visa late or taking trips out of the country prior to the start of a program) we will reschedule the international flight once the visa has been granted.
If you are denied a visa, we will do everything possible to come up with a solution. Since you will not be able to travel before you have secured your visa, it is very important that you do purchase a refundable and changeable domestic ticket to your gateway departure city.
***PLEASE NOTE: If your departure has to be delayed due to your visa, you will be responsible for changing your domestic ticket and for any penalties the airline charges. If you do not have your visa 5 business days ahead of your scheduled departure, you will need to reschedule your domestic and international flights.
Just remember: AFS is here to help! Always feel free to contact us with any questions.
What visa related costs can I expect?
You will have to pay a visa fee and any other expenses as instructed by the Embassy/Consulate. Visa fees vary by country. You will need to verify the amount with your consulate. In addition to the visa fee, you will need to budget funds for legalizing documents and the cost of applying in-person at the consulate (airfare, hotel, etc.) if applicable. *Fees and requirements are determined by immigration authorities and are subject to change at any time.
Are any of the visa costs covered in my AFS program fee?
No, your program fee does not cover any of the costs related to obtaining your passport or visa. In some cases, the visa costs are added to your program fee and charged to you up front.
What is a VFS Global Center?
Some governments have outsourced much of its visa processing operations to a third-party agency named VFS Global. To apply for your visa these countries require that you submit a visa application online and attend an in-person appointment/interview at a VFS Center close to your home.
What is an Apostille and who grants it?
The highest level of certification the Federal Dept of State or a State Dept of State grant for a document. Apostilles are issued by the Federal Government or the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the document was certified or notarized. Your document must be apostilled by the state that it was issued in or by the Federal Government if it was Federally issued (i.e. a FBI Background Check). The process for obtaining an Apostille varies by state. An Apostille (or, in some cases, a State Authentication) may or may not be needed for your visa process. Find more information on the Apostille process in your state.
How Do I get something Notarized?
A notarization is the act of a licensed notary public witnessing someone signing a document. The notary adds a signature, stamp or seal, and statement as part of the evidence that they have verified the identity of the person signing a document. A notarization must be done in-person before the licensed notary public. If a document needs further certifications (like the stamp of a county clerk, an Apostille, or State Authentication), usually a notary stamp will be required first. Common places notaries may be found are in banks, attorney’s offices, and more.
How do I get a document translated?
Your visa process may require the official translation of a document into your destination country’s official language. The translator must be capable of translating the document in its entirety and must include a signed, notarized “Certificate of Accuracy” proving that their translation is accurate and complete.
We recommend working with a certified translator to ensure the process goes more smoothly – see below for companies with which past AFSers have worked. If you do not use one of these companies or something similar, your translator must be completely fluent (foreign governments will reject translations with lots of errors!) and can obtain a Certificate of Accuracy simply by searching for the term online and finding examples.
Keep in mind that, if you need an Apostille for your translation of the document, it must be issued by the state in which the translation was notarized, regardless of where the original document was issued or apostilled.
Common translation services AFSers have used in the past are below. Note that AFS does not endorse or recommend any particular service.
- Interlingua (California)
- New World Language Services (California)
- Bridge LinguaTec (Colorado)
- Language Solutions (Missouri)
- Cincilingua, Inc. (Ohio)
- University of Massachusetts – Amherst Translation Center (Massachusetts)
- All Language Translations (New York)
- 1-800-Translate (New York)
- Ultra Translate
Translators can also be found at universities, courts or police departments. School transcripts may be translated by your school or school board.