Admission Requirements for F-1 Students

Applicants who require an I-20 form for an F-1 visa application may only apply to PAU's PhD, PsyD, and Psychology & Social Action programs.

For PAU Masters programs, International students who plan to be in their home country while being a student in the online Masters in Counseling format or MS in Psychology program are eligible to apply.

International students currently living in the U.S. in F-1 status and those interested in becoming F-1 international students for studying in the U.S. are not eligible to apply to PAU Masters in Counseling on-campus format. 

International Students must provide TOEFL scores if previous school(s) attended were not in the U.S. as well as evaluated and translated transcripts. PAU's preferred evaluation/translation service is International Education Evaluations, LLC (myiee.org/university/palo-alto-university). We will also accept evaluations from any approved NACES member.

Once you have gained academic admission to PAU, you must complete the following steps to be issued an I-20 form which finalizes your admission to PAU:

1.  Download the handout Finances and Student Information and review it carefully.

2.  Submit financial documentation, copy of passport page and student information sheet to the Student Services Associate Director. 

Once you complete steps 1 and 2 we will mail you your I-20 form.

3a.  If you are currently in the U.S. in F-1 status, download the handout Immigration Transfer In to facilitate your immigration transfer to PAU.  Once this transfer is complete, your I-20 will be issued.

OR

3b.  If you are currently outside the U.S. and need to apply for an F-1 Visa, go to https://www.usembassy.gov/ to find embassy or consulate websites, interview availability and processing times . You will have to navigate to find relevant COVID-19 information, as each embassy website is structured a bit differently..

You must pay the SEVIS/I-901 fee, and schedule an interview. The SEVIS fee is $350. 

These resources will help you prepare for your F-1 visa interview: 

1. Study in the States https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/applying-for-a-visa-to-travel-to-the-united-states
2. Education USA website educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study/...
3. Ten Points to Remember When Applying for your Nonimmigrant Visa www.nafsa.org/10points. 

Canadian Citizens need only an I-20 and I-901 SEVIS fee receipt to enter the U.S. in F-1 status (no visa required).

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