After we receive your application, application fee, and necessary documents (described on the application form), the ELI director will review your application. If you are accepted into the program, we will send you a Certificate of Eligibility I-20 form with a letter of acceptance and your SEVIS fee receipt if you included the $200.00 fee with your application.

When you receive your I-20 form and SEVIS fee receipt, you should apply for an F-1 student visa at the United States consulate or embassy in your country. Please note that the U.S. embassy in each country has its own process for issuing visas. In most cases, you must visit the embassy for an interview in order to get your visa. This can take weeks or months because you have to schedule your appointment.

For details about the visa procedures at the U.S. embassy in your country, go to the US Department of State Embassy website. Find your country on that page and look for the links for non-immigrant visas.

For general information about studying in the United States and getting a student visa, go to the Department of State's "Education USA" website.

Important Information About the Application Process If you want to attend the ELI's English for Academic Purposes Program and need an F-1 visa to enter the United States, please read this information carefully. In order to get an F-1 student visa, you must be admitted to the ELI and be issued a Form I-20 travel document. The Form I-20 is the paper you take to the U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country to apply for your visa. You must also pay a $200.00 fee to support the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, SEVIS. See SEVIS for details about this fee. This SEVIS fee, called the I-901 fee, must be paid AFTER you are issued an I-20 travel document and BEFORE you apply for your F-1 student visa. Here is some important information to know about the SEVIS fee: The SEVIS I-901 fee is NOT the visa application fee. It is an additional fee required by the U.S. government to pay for the cost of operating the SEVIS database. The SEVIS fee must be paid in addition to the visa application fee that you pay when you go to the U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for your F-1 visa. You must pay the SEVIS fee after you get a Form I-20 but before you go to the embassy for your F-1 visa. If you do not pay the SEVIS fee before visiting the embassy, your visa application will be denied. Paying the SEVIS I-901 fee does NOT guarantee that you will be issued an F-1 student visa. If you are denied a visa, you can reapply during the next 12 months without having to pay the SEVIS fee again. The SEVIS fee is NOT refundable if you change your mind and decide not to study in the U.S. or if your visa is denied. You have two ways to pay your SEVIS Fee. The English Language Institute recommends the first choice for your convenience: As a convenience to students who apply to the ELI, we will forward your SEVIS fee payment for you over the Internet and send you a receipt with your acceptance letter and your Form I-20. This procedure will ensure that your SEVIS fee gets processed BEFORE you go to the U.S. embassy or consular office in your country to apply for your visa. Please note that the ELI cannot influence the decision to issue or deny you an F-1 visa. If you prefer, you can pay the fee yourself. See How is the SEVIS Fee Paid? for information about paying this fee yourself. APPLICATION CHECKLIST Before you send your application, please check the following items that you are mailing to us: Application Form (Application Form) Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF) Official Bank Letter (See page 1 of the DCF for information on the bank letter.) A photocopy of your passport page with your picture and the issue and expiration dates. If you come to the U.S. with dependents, send photocopies of their passport pages too. Non-refundable Application Fee ($50). Do you want the ELI to submit your SEVIS fee payment for you or will you process this fee yourself? Please check the appropriate box below: I want the ELI to submit the SEVIS Fee for me. I am enclosing payment for this $200.00 fee. I understand that if I pay by credit card, the ELI will use the card number written below for my SEVIS fee payment. OR I want to process the SEVIS fee myself. I will pay the $200.00 after I receive my Form I-20. Please send all application materials to us at the address given below. Application Procedures for U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Applicants with other Visas If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or you hold a visa that gives you permission to live in the United States, the application process is different. Please call the ELI at 330-972-7544 to find out what steps you should follow to apply to our EAP Program. Admission to The University of Akron Please understand that admission to the ELI does NOT mean that you have admission to an academic program at The University of Akron. If you want to attend The University of Akron as a regular student after you have finished your English courses, you must get an application from: Office of International Programs for undergraduate admissions OR Graduate School International Admissions for graduate admissions. If you have any questions, please contact the ELI at: English Language Institute The University of Akron Akron, OH 44325-1909 USA Phone: (330) 972-7544 Fax: (330) 972-7353 Email: ua-eli@uakron.edu We hope to see you in Akron soon! [ELI Home] · [EAP Home] · [Description of the Courses] · [Schedule of Sessions] · [Application Procedures] · [Tuition and Fees] · [ELI Faculty and Staff] · [A Message from the Director] · [Comments from ELI Graduates] · [Activities] · [Information about Applying to The University of Akron for Graduate or Undergraduate Studies] Copyright © 2003 The University of Akron is an Equal Education and Employment Institution. This page is maintained by mmcnamara@uakron.edu Last updated: November 20, 2008 Any and all comments are welcome.