I applied for and received admission to a graduate degree program at a U.S. university. The school issued me an I-20 form, so that I can apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. consulate in my home country. …

…I applied for and received admission to a graduate degree program at a U.S. university. The school issued me an I-20 form, so that I can apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. consulate in my home country. During the initial application process, I provided my parents’ bank account information to meet my financial obligation to pay tuition and all other necessary expenses while studying in the U.S. However, my family has now decided that I will be sponsored by my brother, instead, who lives and works in the U.S. and has enough funds to cover my tuition, fees, and living expenses. Will this be a problem when I apply for an F-1 visa? Will I be expected to provide the same financial support documents to the Consular Officer that I had sent to the school?

Answer

As long as you can show sufficient funds to cover your financial obligation for the first year of study and the source/s of funds for the entire duration of your program, the Consular Officer is likely to accept this information as sufficient, even if the documents you provided to the school are not the same as the documents you will use to support your visa application. (16.Sep.2016)

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