U.S.A Student Visa: Sponsorship

Most applicants who apply for a student visa seek financial assistance from family members and /or close relatives to offset their educational expenses. A sponsor can be anyone; however, it is best when your sponsor is an immediate family member such as your parents, spouse, or siblings. If you plan to use a sponsor to aid your educational expenses, they must have more money in their bank account than what is required for your educational expenses.

Realistically, if the money in your sponsor’s bank account is the exact amount that you need for your educational expenses, the visa officer may wonder why this person would give you their entire life saving to study in the United States. When your sponsor gives you all the money in their bank account to study in the United States, what will they do if an emergency situation arises and they need cash? Therefore, it will be more believable if your sponsor’s bank account reflects more than the required amount for your tuition and living expenses.

Likewise, it is best when your sponsor is your parent/s, spouse or a close relative. The reason for this is the visa officer may wonder why someone who is not a close relative would give you their life savings to study in The United States. Additionally, you must provide documentation to show your relation to your sponsor. For instance, if your mom is sponsoring you, you will need to submit your birth certificate so that the visa officer can see that your sponsor is your mom. In the event the relationship with your sponsor is not clearly established, the visa officer may ask himself, is it believable that this person who is a family member, friend or employer would give all this money to you to study in The United States?

When you are ready to attend an interview at the Embassy, your sponsor must give you a bank statement showing the amount of money they are sponsoring towards your educational expenses. If your sponsor cannot provide you with a bank statement with the required amount of money that they are paying towards your tuition or living expenses, it is unwise and often futile to apply for a study permit as it will be overlooked. Why would the visa officer grant you a student visa when it is not clear as to how you will be paying for the tuition and living expenses? Many applicants state that someone is sponsoring them, but fail to produce a bank statement.

When someone is sponsoring you, the visa officer will thoroughly review your application, because they want to make sure that funds will be available for the duration of your studies. Advisably, though someone will be sponsoring you, it is best to have savings available in your bank account, especially if you are traveling with your entire family. Please don’t rely on your sponsor for the entirety of your educational expenses. At least try to have some finances of your own, especially if your sponsor is not an immediate relative or extended family member.