Immigration Information

Visa Policy

Your visa is placed in your passport at a U.S. Department of State Embassy or Consulate outside the U.S. It is your permit to travel to a U.S. port of entry and to request entry as a non-immigrant.

Once an international student has been admitted to a degree-seeking program at BYU and has completed the financial requirements, BYU will provide the Form I-20 for the visa application. If your visa application is denied, BYU will not intervene unless the government requests additional information directly from the university.

Admitted international students with a B-1/B-2 or F-2 visa will not be permitted to enroll at the university until they have secured a F-1 visa status. Students should not attempt to enter the United States as degree-seeking students without presenting a Form I-20, a valid visa (except Canadians and Bermudians), and a valid passport.

Refer to International Student and Scholar Services for additional information.

Financial Requirements

International students who are admitted to BYU will need to complete the following requirements before receiving the Form I-20 and registering for classes:

• Financial Verification: All admitted international students must provide verification that they can meet the Cost of Attendance. You must complete an Affidavit of Support accompanied by the most recent copy of the bank statement for each sponsor before you are able to register for classes.
• International Student Deposit: Once admitted to BYU, all international students must make a $4,000 USD deposit before they will be able to register for classes. The deposit will be held in an escrow account with the intent to be released to you during your last semester before graduation. Once the deposit has been paid and finances have been verified, the registration hold will be removed. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Read the full Deposit Policy here.

BYU's International Student and Scholar Services will handle these requirements and can provide additional information.

Sponsors

Typically, international students require the support of a sponsor(s) to prove financial ability. You are responsible for securing your own sponsor(s) (i.e. parents, government, or other). Sponsors should be a viable financial resource to you.