Immigration Information

Visa Policy

Your visa is placed in your passport at a U.S. Department of State Embassy or Consulate outside of the U.S. It is your permit allowing you 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 completed the financial requirements, the university will provide the Form I-20 for the visa application. If a student’s visa application is denied, BYU will not intervene in the process, 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 F-1 visa status. Students should not attempt to enter the United States as a degree-seeking student without presenting a Form I-20, a valid visa (except Canadians and Bermudians), and valid passport.

Please refer to the International Student and Scholar Services website 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 are able to meet the cost of attendance. You must complete an Affidavit of Support accompanied with 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 the university, all international students must make a deposit of $4000 USD before they will be able to register for classes. The deposit will be held in an interest-earning escrow account with the intent to be released to the student during their final 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.

The International Student and Scholar Services office will handle these requirements. Please contact their office for additional information.

Sponsors

Generally speaking, international students require the support of a sponsor to prove financial ability. Students are responsible for securing this sponsor (i.e., parents, government, other). This individual (or these individuals) should be a viable financial resource to the student.