A passport is an official travel document issued by your home country's government to its citizens.

A passport

• verifies your identity and nationality
• allows you to travel internationally (other documents, for example a visa, may also be required).*
• Temple University will not issue an I-20 without a passport

* An F-1 visa is needed for you to study full-time at Temple University.

Your Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility is a document issued by the Temple University to show that you have been admitted to a full-time program of study at TCALC FOR LANGUAGE TRAINING. 

• You need your Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) to apply for your F-1 visa.

• Your I-20 is a document issued by the Temple University to show that you have:
  • been admitted to a full-time program of study 
  • sufficient financial resources to cover your study and living expenses​

• Your I-20 number (SEVIS ID number) is a unique number linked to your SEVIS record. 

  •  You will keep the same SEVIS ID number throughout your program, even if you transfer your F-1 status to another school. 
  • Your SEVIS ID number can be found at the top of the form and starts with the letter "N."

A U.S. visa is an approval from the U.S. that allows you to enter the country for a specific reason.

• An F-1 visa allows you to enter the U.S.A. to study full-time for a certain period of time. 
• Some programs accept a B-Visa or ESTA Waiver Program
• The visa document is put inside your passport.

​SEVIS is a U.S. government database that tracks all non-immigrant students and exchange visitors studying in the U.S. 

• When we receive your application and documents, Temple University creates a SEVIS record for you. Your record is stored on the SEVIS government database.
• SEVIS = Student and Exchange Visitor Information System 

Your SEVIS ID number (I-20 number) is a unique number linked to your SEVIS record. 

•  You will keep the same SEVIS ID number throughout your program, even if you transfer your F-1 status to another school. 
• Your SEVIS ID number can be found at the top of the form and starts with the letter "N."

A I-901 SEVIS fee is required by the U.S. government to support the program office.

• You will need to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee to get your visa.
• The fee should be paid before scheduling your visa interview appointment.
• As of June 2022, the I-901 SEVIS fee is $350 for F-1 students.
• The fee is non-refundable.

You will needa visa interview if applying for any visa. The visa interview  is used is to verify all information (documents) given in the application and to make sure that you qualify for the F-1 visa.

• The interview is given at the U.S consulate by a U.S. consular officer.

Prepare your visa application materials, including:

• Your passport, which should be valid at least six months into the future
• Your visa certificate (I-20)
• Extra passport photos
• Your I-901 SEVIS fee payment receipt 
• Financial documents, such as your scholarship letter/bank statements  
• Your Temple University/TCALC admission letter 
• Passports and proof of family relationship for any dependent family members coming with you to the US
• Other supporting materials as instructed by the International Center or the U.S. consulate

Full-time refers to the amount of time spent studying in a program each week.

• Full-time students are required to have an F-1 visa to legally study in the U.S.

At TCALC, studying full-time means you will:

• Study for at least 18 hours per week
• Enroll in four (4) classes: Integrated English: Listening and Speaking, Intensive Reading, Intensive Writing and an Enrichment course

To find out what documents are required, visit the Requirements page.

Yes! If you are on a B-visa, you can study part-time at TCALC

• part-time = 1 - 3 classes or less than 15 hours per week

For those on a different type of visa (L, R, O, etc.), please contact our team at tcalcapps@temple.edu