A Complete Guide to Navigating the F1 Visa Process: International students can study in the United States for academic purposes with the F1 visa, which is a non-immigrant student visa. This visa is aviatirintended exclusively for people who want to come to a recognized university or college and pursue a full-time program there. First & foremost, you must be accepted into a school that has been approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) in order to begin the process of obtaining an F1 visa. Students who get accepted are given a Form I-20, which is necessary to apply for a visa.