How long does it take for students to get a visa from the time they receive their I-20?
It varies by country. Students first have to make an appointment for a visa interview with the U.S. embassy in their country. After the visa interview, the visa is usually issued within 3 business days. The whole process from the time they make the visa interview appointment to the time they receive the visa usually takes about 2-4 weeks. If an extensive security check is required (especially for students from China, Indonesia, and Middle East studying in the physical sciences) this can add an additional 3-6 weeks on to the whole process. The State Department has made significant improvements in the visa process and students are given priority (over tourists, etc) in appointments; however, we have noticed a trend of lengthy security checks for those students mentioned above.
