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Download ORU’s Financial Guarantee Form

In order for you to study at ORU, you must obtain or maintain F-1 Student Status. To receive F-1 Student Status, we must first issue you an I-20 Form (also known as the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status - For Academic and Language Students). Before we can issue you an I-20 Form, we require you to submit financial documentation that equals or exceeds one full year of expenses for the ORU program you plan on pursuing. 

To do this, fully complete and submit ORU’s Financial Guarantee Form, including: 

1. Your signature with an understanding of the cost of education.  Adjustments in the financial certification cannot be made based on your individual circumstances. This estimate is based upon 12-18 hours each semester for undergraduate studies or 9 hours each semester for graduate studies. 
2. Your Guarantor’s Signature of Affidavit and understanding of the cost of education. Unless you are supported by your own savings, your Guarantor is a person who guarantees to pay your expenses in the event that you cannot.
3. Bank statements of your Guarantor. Financial documentation is only valid for six months from the date of signature on this form or date of the bank statements submitted. 
4. You will need to submit a copy of the original financial guarantee form and bank statement/letter. Scanned and faxed copies are initially accepted so that you can have the original for use during your visa interview.
   Learn more about ORU’s Financial Guarantee Form.

Before issuing you an I-20 Form, we need a clear photocopy of the biographic page of your passport. Please email this to intladmissions@oru.edu. If you currently hold a visa in the U.S., please provide a clear copy of that as well.

Once you have submitted the Financial Guarantee and supporting bank documents along with a copy of the biography page in your passport, we will issue your I-20 Form. This will be shipped via USPS unless you would like to pay to have it shipped via FedEx.

Once you receive your I-20 Form, you will need to activate your I-20 by visiting www.fmjfee.com and paying your $350 SEVIS fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is a nationwide, Internet-based system that the U.S. government uses to maintain accurate and current information on non-immigrant students (F and M visa), exchange visitors (J visa), and their dependents (F-2, M-2, and J-2).

More About the DS-160

After you pay your SEVIS fee, you will need to complete the DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form, and pay the application fee. Consular Officers use the information entered on the DS-160 to process your visa application and, combined with a personal interview, determine your eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa. You should have the following documents available while you complete your DS-160:

• Passport
• Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements.
• Dates of your last five visits or trips to the United States, if you have previously traveled to the United States. You may also be asked for your international travel history for the past five years. 
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae - You may be required to provide information about your current and previous education and work history. 
• Your SEVIS ID, which is printed on your I-20 Form 
• The address of the school/program at which you intend to study. This is listed on your I-20 Form.

At this time, you can schedule your visa interview with the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your home country. Please let your ORU Designated School Official (DSO) know when your appointment is scheduled. Connect with your ORU DSO at intladmissions@oru.edu or +1 (918) 495-6518

A list of consulates and embassies can be found at www.usembassy.gov.

During Your Interview

A consular officer will interview you to determine whether you are qualified to receive a student visa. You must establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive a visa. After your visa interview, the consular officer may determine that your application requires further administrative processing. After the visa is approved, you may need to pay a visa issuance fee (if applicable to your nationality), and make arrangements for the return of the passport and visa to you.

Visa Interview Checklist

As you prepare for your student F-1 visa interview, be sure to submit all the required materials and bring the following with you:

• Passport (Valid for at least six months at the time of the interview)
• Form I-20 (Signed by a school official from ORU and by you)
• ORU Acceptance Letter
• Confirmation of Completed Visa Application (DS-160)
• Photograph in the Prescribed Format
• Receipt of F-1 Visa Application Fee
• Receipt of SEVIS Fee
• ORU Financial Guarantee Form and Verifying Bank Statements
• Financial Evidence Showing Ability to Pay School Fees
• Information Proving Intention to Return to Home Country after Studies.
• Verification of All School Transcripts and Tests Taken

Sample Visa Interview Questions

During your student F-1 visa interview, be prepared to respond to questions similar to the following:

• How do you plan to pay for your studies?
  Be prepared to provide the immigration official conducting your interview proof of your financial ability to meet the cost of education at ORU.
• What do you want to study and how do you plan to use what you learn?
• What are your plans upon returning to your home country once you complete your studies at ORU?
  The immigration official conducting your interview will want proof that you plan to return to your home country.
• What type of University is ORU, and where is Tulsa, Oklahoma? Why do you want to study there?

Tips to Prepare for Your Interview

• Be prepared to communicate your plans for returning to your home country.
• Be sure you can demonstrate English language proficiency.
• Be prepared to demonstrate your financial stability by showing bank statements.
• Be prepared to clearly communicate your academic plans, and answer questions for yourself.
• Be prepared to answer questions about your intended program of study.
• Be sure to follow directions exactly as you receive them when showing up for your visa interview.
• Have all of your documents organized and completed before going for your visa interview.
• Ensure any additional country-specific requirements for your home country are addressed and completed.
• Make sure your primary reason for applying for the F-1 student visa is to attend school and not to pursue work opportunities.
• Be prepared to demonstrate how your departure from your home country will not negatively impact your dependents.
• Wear formal attire (such as a suit and tie) as if you are attending a formal business meeting. 
• Arrive early. Account for such things as traffic.
• Be content and honest.
• Be polite, and do not argue or ask unnecessary or unrelated questions.
• Do not unnecessarily elaborate your responses as this may not work in your favor.
• When asked questions, respond with short, to-the-point replies in a clear voice.
• Avoid saying anything that is irrelevant or not asked.
• If you do not understand what the interviewing officer is saying because of his/her American accent and/or the microphone system, do not be afraid to say, ‘Beg your pardon, I did not understand you.’ If they repeat the problem and you still did not understand them, this is not a problem, so do not panic. Calmly and confidently say, ‘Sorry sir/madam. I still did not understand you. Could you kindly repeat what you said?’
• Come prepared with your travel information: 
  • You will be flying into Tulsa International Airport and picked up by an ORU shuttle bus and taken to campus.
  • Your acceptance letter will be required.
  • Know where Tulsa, Oklahoma is on a map.