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Studying in United States

The largest and best funded university system in the world, attached to the most changeable student immigration regime in this guide. What is true when you apply may not be true when you graduate.

26 of 26 sections confirmed against their official source. Last confirmed 2026-08-08.

Overview

The United States hosts more international students than any other country and funds research at a scale nowhere else matches. It also has, by some distance, the most changeable student immigration system in this guide.

Two things follow from that. First, cost: tuition at a private university commonly exceeds USD 60,000 a year, out of state public tuition runs from USD 25,000 to USD 50,000, and international students pay the non resident rate everywhere. Financial aid for international undergraduates exists at a small number of wealthy institutions and effectively nowhere else.

Second, and more important, the rules are moving. A rule that would cap student admission at four years and halve the post graduation grace period cleared its final review on 17 June 2026 and is awaiting publication. It is not law yet. It may be by the time you read this.

Nothing in this guide substitutes for your Designated School Official, the DSO at your university. In the United States that person, not a website, is your authority.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Study System

Undergraduate applications go directly to each university, or through the Common Application, and commonly close between November and January for the following autumn. Postgraduate applications go to the department and close earlier than people expect, often in December, because funding decisions are made in the spring.

Standardised tests are in flux. Many universities dropped the SAT and ACT and some have reinstated them. The GRE is required by some graduate programmes and abandoned by others. Check each programme rather than assuming.

Your institution must be SEVP certified to enrol international students. Only a SEVP certified school can issue the Form I-20, and without an I-20 there is no visa. This is the first thing to verify, before you write a single essay.

Undergraduate degrees take four years and begin with general education requirements rather than immediate specialisation. Doctoral programmes are longer than in Europe, typically five to six years, and usually funded through teaching or research assistantships that also carry work authorisation.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Visa & Immigration

The normal academic student visa is F-1. The sequence is: admission to an SEVP-certified school, issuance of Form I-20, payment of the SEVIS I-901 fee, completion of Form DS-160, payment of the nonimmigrant visa application fee, and usually a consular interview.

The SEVIS I-901 fee for an F or M student is USD 350. The Department of State's current fee schedule lists USD 185 for the non-petition-based F visa application fee. These are separate charges.

A 2025 federal law also created a Visa Integrity Fee of at least USD 250 for many nonimmigrant visa issuances. The statute says it is charged at visa issuance and provides for inflation adjustment and a possible reimbursement mechanism for compliant travellers. Implementation has been unusually messy: as of 8 August 2026, the State Department's public visa-fee schedule still does not list a collection line for this fee. Do not build a precise total around it without checking the instructions of the embassy or consulate where you will apply.

The F-1 interview focuses heavily on whether you qualify as a genuine temporary student and can finance the programme. There is no single national maintenance number: your school establishes the estimated tuition and living costs on the I-20 and requires evidence of funding before issuing it. Consular officers can examine the source and credibility of that funding.

The visa in your passport lets you travel to a US port of entry; it does not itself determine how long you may remain after admission. Your I-94 admission record and F-1 status rules do that.

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html

Residence Permit

This is the most time-sensitive part of the US guide. As of 8 August 2026, F-1 students are still governed by the long-standing Duration of Status (D/S) system. That changes on 15 September 2026.

DHS published a final rule in the Federal Register on 17 July 2026 replacing D/S with fixed periods of admission for F, J and I nonimmigrants. For F-1 students admitted under the new system, the admission period generally runs to the programme end date on Form I-20, capped at four years, followed by a 30-day departure/status-change period. Students who need more time must obtain an extension of stay from USCIS rather than relying only on a DSO-issued programme extension.

The transition rules matter. F-1 students who were properly maintaining D/S status on 15 September 2026 do not simply lose status that day. DHS provides a transition based on the programme end date or qualifying EAD end date, subject to a maximum transition period. The final rule also preserves a 60-day departure period for certain students covered by that transition, while the new fixed-admission system uses 30 days.

Travel can change which rule applies. If you are already in F-1 status around September 2026, do not rely on a generic internet summary before leaving the United States, changing programmes, transferring schools, extending an I-20, or filing OPT. Ask your DSO how the transition provisions apply to your exact I-94 and SEVIS record.

Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/17/2026-14439/establishing-a-fixed-time-period-of-admission-and-an-extension-of-stay-procedure-for-nonimmigrant

Healthcare

There is no national health service and American healthcare is extraordinarily expensive. An uninsured ambulance ride and emergency room visit can cost more than a semester of tuition.

Federal law does not require F-1 students to hold insurance, but almost every university does, and most will enrol you automatically in the student health plan and bill it to your account unless you prove comparable cover. Do not attempt to waive it to save money unless you understand exactly what you are buying instead.

Learn three words before you need them. A premium is what you pay monthly. A deductible is what you pay yourself before the insurer contributes. A copay is the fixed amount per visit. A plan with a low premium and a high deductible is not cheap; it is a bet.

Check whether your plan covers mental health, prescriptions, and treatment outside your university's health centre, and whether it covers you during the summer.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Insurance

This is one of the most important sections for the US, because the country has no universal healthcare and medical costs without insurance can be ruinous: a single visit can run to hundreds or thousands of dollars. Health insurance is effectively mandatory for international students; most universities require you to hold a compliant plan before you can enrol, and many automatically enrol you in the school-sponsored plan (often through Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, or similar) and add the cost to your fees. Some schools let you waive that plan if you have alternative cover that meets their specific requirements, but the rules, the deadline, and the required coverage levels are set by each university, so check your school's health-insurance page early, since this is a campus-level decision, not a national one. Learn the US insurance vocabulary, because it determines what you pay: the premium (what the plan costs), the deductible (what you pay before it starts covering), copay and coinsurance (your share after that), and in-network versus out-of-network (using a provider your plan has a deal with is far cheaper). Dental and vision are usually not included and cost extra. Use the campus health center first (cheapest), urgent care for minor issues, and the emergency room (very expensive) only for genuine emergencies.

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Housing

Undergraduates usually live in university dormitories, often required to in the first year, and the cost is bundled with a meal plan into a single room and board charge. It is expensive and it is simple.

Graduate students generally rent privately, and here the American rental market asks for things a new arrival cannot produce: a credit history, a Social Security number, and often proof of income at three times the rent. The usual answers are a guarantor service, a larger deposit, or university managed graduate housing. Ask the international office what other students actually do.

Leases run twelve months and begin in August or September, which does not match a nine month academic year. Subletting over the summer is normal and often necessary.

Never wire money for an apartment you have not seen, and be sceptical of any listing that requires payment before a viewing. This fraud specifically targets arriving international students each August.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Bank Accounts

Open a bank account in your first week with your passport, I-20 and proof of your campus address. Most large banks have a student account with no monthly fee. Many will open one without a Social Security number, and some will not, so ask before queuing.

A Social Security number is issued only if you have authorised employment. If you have an on campus job, your DSO gives you a letter, and you apply at a Social Security office. If you have no job you have no SSN, and this is normal rather than a problem to be solved.

Credit history is a genuine obstacle. You arrive with none, and it governs your ability to rent, to get a phone contract and to borrow. A secured credit card, or a student card from your bank, builds it slowly. Pay it in full every month.

Cheques still exist. So does Zelle, and Venmo, which is how Americans split a bill.

Source: https://www.ssa.gov/

Taxes

Every F-1 student in the United States must file with the Internal Revenue Service every year, including those who earned nothing at all. A student with no income files Form 8843. This surprises people and it is not optional.

Most international students are nonresident aliens for tax purposes for their first five calendar years, which means you file the nonresident return, not the ordinary one. The common consumer tax software files the resident return by default, and using it can put you out of compliance. Your university almost certainly licenses software built for nonresidents. Use theirs.

Tax treaties between the United States and some countries exempt part of a student's income. Check whether yours has one.

Nonresident students are generally exempt from Social Security and Medicare withholding on wages. If your employer withholds them anyway, that is a recoverable error.

Source: https://www.irs.gov/

Transportation

Outside a handful of cities, the United States assumes you have a car. New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and San Francisco have usable transit. Most other campuses have a bus that ends at six.

If you plan to drive, get a state driver licence. An international permit is accepted briefly, then it is not, and the rules vary by state. The licence is also the identity document Americans use daily, which matters when you would rather not carry a passport.

Campus shuttles are free and worth learning. Intercity coaches are cheap. Domestic flights are cheap and the distances are continental: New York to Los Angeles is six hours in the air.

Car insurance for a young driver with no American driving record is expensive enough to change the calculation entirely. Get the quote before you buy the car.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Phone & Internet

Getting connected in the US is easy but plans are relatively expensive, and coverage varies by carrier and region, so the best network genuinely depends on where you will live and travel. You can buy a prepaid SIM on arrival with your passport, no SSN or contract needed, from a carrier store, a big-box shop like Walmart or Target, or online. The three main networks are Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, with cheaper prepaid brands like Mint Mobile (on T-Mobile), Visible (on Verizon), Cricket (on AT&T), and Metro running on those same networks for much less; Mint and Visible are popular with students for cheap unlimited data. Coverage differs by region, so ask locals or check a coverage map for your specific area, since a carrier that is great in one city can be weak in another. A postpaid contract is cheaper per line in a family plan but usually needs an SSN or a credit check and sometimes a deposit, so start prepaid and switch later if you want. eSIMs are widely supported and let you get a US number before you even land. Home internet in student housing is often included; if you arrange your own, providers are region-specific (Xfinity, Spectrum, and others), so options depend on your address.

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Food

Eating in the US spans cheap to expensive, and cooking at home saves the most, though portion sizes and the sheer scale of supermarkets surprise newcomers. Supermarket chains vary by region, but Walmart, Aldi, and Costco (bulk, needs a membership) are among the cheapest, with Trader Joe's good value and popular with students, and chains like Kroger, Safeway, and Publix regional; loyalty cards and apps unlock member prices. Two things catch international students out at the till: sales tax is added at checkout, not shown on the shelf price, and it varies by state and city, so the total is more than the sticker; and tipping is expected and significant in sit-down restaurants (commonly 15 to 20 percent), since US service wages assume tips, so budget for it as part of the meal, not an extra. Campus meal plans (prepaid dining) are common and sometimes mandatory in first-year dorms. Eating out ranges from cheap fast food and food trucks to expensive restaurants, and the diversity of cuisines, especially in big cities, is enormous. Tap water is safe and free and served by default in restaurants. Alcohol laws are strict and vary by state: the drinking age is 21 everywhere, and where and when you can buy alcohol differs by state.

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Culture

The US rewards students who read its friendly but fast-moving social style, and it varies a lot by region, since the country is vast and diverse. People are generally open, informal, and quick to make friendly small talk, using first names freely including with professors, and initial friendliness is genuine but does not always mean deep friendship, which takes longer. Direct communication and self-promotion are more accepted than in many cultures, useful to know for class participation and job hunting, where speaking up and selling yourself are expected. Punctuality matters for classes, work, and appointments. Diversity is immense and regional cultures differ sharply: the pace and manner of New York are not those of the South or the West Coast, and campus culture has its own norms around sports, Greek life (fraternities and sororities), and school spirit. Tipping is woven through service culture (restaurants, taxis, hairdressers, delivery). Small talk, holding doors, and saying excuse me are everyday courtesies. Political and social topics can be sensitive and polarised, so read the room. Distances are huge, most of the country is car-dependent, and public transport quality varies enormously by city. English is the language, though heavily accented and idiomatic, and Spanish is widely spoken in many areas.

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Student Life

Campus life is unusually organised and unusually central. Clubs, student government, fraternities and sororities, intramural sport and a football stadium larger than most European ones. Orientation week is the moment to attach yourself to something.

Academic culture rewards speaking in class. Participation is often a graded component, and silence is read as disengagement rather than respect. Office hours are a genuine invitation: professors expect you to come.

Plagiarism rules are enforced by committees with real powers, and the definition is broader than in many countries. Attend the academic integrity session, even though it is dull.

Tipping is not optional and not a reward for excellence. It is how service workers are paid, and the customary rate in a restaurant is currently around twenty percent.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Language

Teaching is in English and you will need a test result: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test, depending on the institution. Your programme sets the score, and graduate programmes often want higher than undergraduate ones.

Some universities waive the requirement for applicants whose previous degree was taught in English. Ask rather than assume.

International graduate students who teach undergraduates are frequently required to pass a separate spoken English assessment before they may stand in front of a class, and a teaching assistantship may be conditional on it.

Academic English is its own dialect. Most universities run free writing centres, and the students who use them are not the ones who need them most, which is a shame.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Student Discounts

The US has a strong student-discount culture, mostly run through your university and a few national platforms rather than a single card. Your university student ID is the key that unlocks campus facilities, the gym, events, and often local business discounts near campus. For retail, tech, and software, UNiDAYS and Student Beans are free and widely accepted (verified with your school email), and many companies offer direct student pricing: Apple, Spotify (with Hulu bundled), YouTube Premium, Amazon Prime Student (a discounted membership with a free trial), Adobe, and Microsoft (often free through your university) all have student rates worth activating. Amazon Prime Student is particularly popular for free shipping and streaming. Local transit sometimes offers student or youth passes, but this varies entirely by city, and some universities include a transit pass in your fees (a U-Pass or similar) that gives free or cheap local travel, so check what your school provides before buying. Museums, cinemas, and cultural sites usually give a student rate on showing your ID, and many major museums have free days. Always ask whether a student discount exists, since it is common but rarely advertised.

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Part-time Jobs

F-1 work rules are narrow, and violating them is a status violation rather than an employment matter. There is no general right to work.

On campus, you may work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and full time during official breaks. No separate authorisation is needed, though you will need the job before you can get a Social Security number.

Off campus, you may not work at all without authorisation. The two routes are Curricular Practical Training, which must be integral to your programme and is authorised by your DSO, and Optional Practical Training, which is authorised by USCIS and requires an Employment Authorization Document before you start.

Unpaid internships are not a loophole. If the work would ordinarily be paid, it is employment and it needs authorisation.

Working without authorisation ends your status, and there is no forgiveness process worth relying on. Ask your DSO before you accept anything, including freelance work for a company at home.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Internships

Internships in the US are central to the student experience and career path, but for international students on an F-1 visa they are tightly governed by federal work-authorisation rules, and getting this wrong can cost you your visa, so route everything through your university's international student office. The mechanism for a degree-related internship during study is Curricular Practical Training (CPT): it must be integral to your program, it is authorised by your school's Designated School Official (DSO) and noted on your I-20 (not by the government), and you generally must have completed a full academic year first (with exceptions for some graduate programs). Watch one trap: doing 12 months or more of full-time CPT makes you ineligible for OPT afterward, so use full-time CPT carefully. During term you are limited to part-time work (20 hours a week); full-time is allowed in official breaks. Paid internships are the norm in many fields, and US summer internships, especially in tech, finance, and consulting, are a major structured recruiting pipeline that hire many months ahead, so apply early. Unpaid internships exist but are legally constrained. Always get CPT authorised before you start, since working without authorisation is a status violation. IMPORTANT: This is general information, not immigration advice, and F-1 rules change and carry serious penalties. Getting work authorisation or status steps wrong can end your legal status and force you to leave the US, sometimes with a re-entry ban. Before you act on anything in this section, confirm it with your university's Designated School Official (DSO) in the international student office and the official US government sources (uscis.gov and studyinthestates.dhs.gov). When their guidance differs from anything here, follow theirs.

Source: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/practical-training

Graduation & Beyond

The principal post-study work mechanism is Optional Practical Training (OPT), not a general open graduate visa. Post-completion OPT normally provides up to 12 months of employment authorization directly related to your major. Your DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS and you then file Form I-765 with USCIS. You cannot start employment until USCIS authorizes it and the Employment Authorization Document is valid.

Qualifying STEM graduates can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving up to 36 months in total, subject to the STEM rules including an eligible employer and Form I-983 training plan requirements.

The 2026 fixed-admission rule is now final, not merely proposed. It takes effect on 15 September 2026 and changes F-1 admission periods and the departure period for students under the new system. Students already in D/S status have transition rules. Because OPT, programme completion, travel and extension-of-stay timing can now interact differently, coordinate your graduation plan with your DSO well before your programme end date.

Beyond OPT, many graduates consider H-1B or another employment-based status. H-1B normally requires employer sponsorship and cap-subject cases are selected through the annual registration process, so it should never be treated as guaranteed.

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-f-chapter-5

Post-study Work

Post-completion Optional Practical Training normally provides up to 12 months of employment authorization in work directly related to your field of study. Qualifying STEM graduates may apply for a further 24-month STEM OPT extension, for up to 36 months total.

For Form I-765, USCIS currently charges USD 470 for an eligible online filing or USD 520 for paper filing. Premium processing is optional, not the normal OPT filing fee. From 1 March 2026, premium processing for eligible Form I-765 OPT/STEM OPT requests costs an additional USD 1,780 through Form I-907. That makes an online OPT filing plus optional premium processing USD 2,250, before any other incidental costs.

For post-completion OPT, USCIS allows filing no earlier than 90 days before the programme end date and no later than 60 days after it, subject to the DSO recommendation and filing-timing rules. You may not begin OPT employment until the authorization is effective.

The DHS final rule ending Duration of Status takes effect on 15 September 2026. New F-1 admissions are generally fixed to the programme period shown on Form I-20, capped at four years, with a 30-day post-completion departure/status-change period. Students already maintaining D/S on the effective date are covered by transition provisions. If OPT, STEM OPT, travel or an extension of stay crosses that date, ask your DSO to map the dates against your specific I-94 and SEVIS record.

After OPT, H-1B is a common but uncertain route because it normally requires an employer sponsor and many cases are subject to the annual cap-selection process. Build a plan that still works if H-1B selection does not happen.

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students

Useful Apps

A handful of apps smooth daily life in the US, though transit apps are city-specific since there is no national system. For getting around, Google Maps and Apple Maps cover transit and driving, and your city has its own transit app (for example the MTA and Transit app in New York, or a regional app elsewhere); ride apps Uber and Lyft are everywhere and essential given how car-dependent much of the country is. For payments, the US is largely card-based and tap-to-pay works widely, though checks and cash still appear; Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, and Apple Pay handle person-to-person transfers and splitting bills (Venmo is near-universal among students), and you set these up with a US bank account. For food, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub deliver, and many restaurants use their own apps for pickup deals. For second-hand furniture on arrival, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist are the go-to. For groceries, Instacart delivers and store apps hold your loyalty discounts. Add your bank's app, your university's app and learning platform (often Canvas), UNiDAYS for discounts, and a weather app, since US weather can be extreme and regionally varied.

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Emergency Numbers

For police, fire or ambulance, call 911 from any phone, free.

Understand before you dial that an ambulance is a billed medical service in most of the United States, and that a ride can cost more than a thousand dollars. In a genuine emergency call anyway. For anything less, ask your university health centre or an urgent care clinic, which is far cheaper than a hospital emergency room.

For mental health crises, 988 reaches the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, by call or text, at any hour.

Campus police forces are separate from city police and have their own number, which is worth saving. Universities also run escort services after dark, and they are used routinely rather than exceptionally.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Airport Arrival

You may normally enter the United States in F-1 status up to 30 days before the programme start date on your Form I-20. Carry your passport, valid F-1 visa where required, signed I-20, SEVIS fee receipt and useful financial/admission evidence in your hand luggage.

At the port of entry, CBP decides admission and creates an electronic Form I-94. Check the I-94 after arrival and report any error quickly. This becomes especially important around the 15 September 2026 fixed-admission change: students admitted under the new rule should expect a fixed admission date rather than D/S.

Complete your university's immigration check-in immediately so the international office can register/validate your arrival in SEVIS. Enrol full time, deal with your university health-insurance requirement, open a bank account and get a phone plan. You generally do not need an SSN merely to open a bank account; an F-1 student normally becomes eligible for an SSN through authorized employment.

Keep every Form I-20 issued to you. Before travel, employment, a school transfer, programme change or any immigration filing, ask your Designated School Official (DSO) what your specific record permits.

Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/get-started/arriving-in-the-united-states

Government Websites

Four agencies matter and they do different things. The Department of State, through its consulates, issues the visa. Customs and Border Protection admits you at the airport and decides how long you may stay. Immigration and Customs Enforcement runs SEVP and SEVIS, which hold your student record. USCIS decides OPT, extensions and changes of status.

A visa is only permission to travel to a port of entry and ask to be admitted. It can expire while you remain lawfully in the country, and being admitted is a separate decision made by a different agency.

Study in the States is DHS's own plain English site for students. NAFSA, the association of international educators, publishes the most reliable tracking of rule changes, and is the place to check whether the fixed admission rule has been published.

Above all: your Designated School Official is a legal role, not a helpdesk. Ask them first, and ask before acting rather than afterwards.

Source: https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/dhs-final-rule-ending-duration-status

Packing Checklist

Pack according to where in the US you are going, because the climate varies from freezing northern winters to hot southern and desert states to mild California, so there is no single US packing list, check your specific city and its seasons. Bring clothing for the actual climate of your campus, a warm coat and layers for anywhere with a real winter (the Northeast, Midwest, and mountain states get very cold and snowy), and lighter clothes for the South and West. The documents matter enormously and should be in your carry-on, never checked: passport with the F-1 visa, your I-20 (signed), admission letter, financial evidence, and SEVIS fee receipt, since you present these at the border. Bring prescription medication in its original packaging with a doctor's letter, since US customs is strict. You will need a US plug adapter (the US uses a different socket and 110 volts, so check your appliances are dual-voltage). Do not overpack bedding, kitchenware, or bulky items; they are cheap at Walmart, Target, IKEA, or second-hand, and shipping or buying on arrival is easier than hauling them. Bring some US dollars in cash for the first days, though the US is very card-friendly, and note US sizes and measurements differ (feet, pounds, Fahrenheit).

Source: https://shorelight.com/student-stories/all-about-international-college-student-health-insurance

Embassies

Two different things get confused under embassies, so keep them straight. Before you arrive, you apply for the F-1 student visa at a US embassy or consulate in your home country, and this usually involves an in-person visa interview (a distinctive and sometimes stressful part of the US process), after paying the SEVIS fee and receiving the I-20 from your university; wait times for interview appointments vary a lot by country, so book early. After you arrive, the relevant mission is your own country's embassy or consulate in the US, which you turn to for passport renewal, emergency travel documents, notarial services, or help in a crisis; most embassies are in Washington, DC, with consulates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other major cities. Registering with your own mission, where it offers a citizen service, means it can reach you in an emergency. For anything about your right to stay, study, or work in the US once you are here, the authority is not an embassy but US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the SEVP system, and above all your university's international student office (the DSO), which is your essential first stop for any status, visa, or work question, since F-1 rules are complex and mistakes are costly.

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-f-chapter-5

Focused United States guides

Official resources

Student cities in United States

Universities in United States