Apply for an Entry Visa

What is an entry visa, and when do I need one?

Although many countries allow for entry for less than 90 days, depending on your passport, an entry visa is required for travelers spending more than 90 days abroad. For certain countries, again depending on your own passport, an entry visa may also be required for shorter periods.

To receive an entry visa, students must present their passport to the local consulate for their destination country, along with an official application, and will receive their passport back with the visa attached inside. Here are samples of what an Italian and French visa look like.

Though the entry visa process may look daunting at first, the requirements are very straightforward, and OIE will not only provide some of the necessary documents and we can also make sure your application is completely in order before you submit it. It may not be the most fun part of studying abroad, but it'll be a notch in your experience that you can consider a transferable skill. The next time you travel and require a visa, it'll seem like a piece of cake.

Looking for some general information about the entry visa process? Check out this great video here on an overview of the entry visa process!

Important Notes

Due to the processing time of the consulates, you will most likely receive your passport with affixed visa up to 6 weeks or more after your scheduled appointment with the Italian Consulate in NYC; or 6 weeks or more after your scheduled appointment with the VFS Global Center for France. Do not plan any travel outside the U.S. until you know the date of your visa appointment and confirm the processing time with the Italian Consulate or VFS Global center.

If you are a U.S. citizen and have already booked international travel, you may be able to apply for a second U.S. passport for this trip. Please see our Second Passport Guide for additional instructions. If you would like to apply for a second U.S. passport you must contact [email protected].

Visa Information & Instructions

Program: St. John's Semester in Rome

STEP 1: Decide whether you will be applying for your study visa through the OIE group visa process or on your own

GROUP VISA PROCESS
- OIE will be gathering students' completed visa application forms, required documents, and passports on Thursday, April 25th from 2pm - 5pm in Marillac 210 to take to the Italian consulate in NYC.
- The group visa process can take up to several weeks. Therefore, if you have any travel plans that require your passport in May or June, you should opt out of the group visa process because your passport might not be ready in time.
- If you are an out-of-state student and are traveling home after the semester ends, you may still participate in the group visa process as long as you provide OIE with a USPS prepaid priority mail envelope so that we can mail your passport with your visa to you once we receive it from the consulate.
- The group visa process is only available to students who confirm by the priority deadline, which is March 22nd.
APPLY FOR A VISA ON YOUR OWN
- If you prefer to get your visa without OIE, want to get an early start, or have summer travel plans that require your passport, applying for a visa on your own is the best option for you.
- You must schedule an appointment with the Italian consulate for any day before July 1st. Please note that the visa processing time can be up to several weeks.
- Appointment slots fill up very quickly so please book your appointment as soon as you pay your deposit to confirm your spot in the program. DO NOT wait until June to schedule because appointments will be booked out by then.

STEP 2: Follow the step-by-step instructions on the checklist that corresponds to you

If you are participating in the group visa process, please use this checklist:
- Italian Visa Application Checklist - Group Visa Process (Fall 2024)
If you are applying for a visa on your own, please use this checklist:
- Italian Visa Application Checklist (Fall 2024)

STEP 3: Schedule a Visa Document Review (VDR) session with an OIE advisor

Although VDRs are not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to schedule one so an OIE advisor can review your visa documents before you hand them in for the group visa process or before you attend your own visa appointment at the Italian consulate
Click here to schedule a VDR

STEP 4: Upload a Copy of Your Visa

Once your receive your passport with your Italian study visa, please upload a copy of it to your study abroad portal

Program: St. John's Semester in Paris

Step 1: Complete the Campus France registration process

In order to apply for a French student visa for St. John's Semester in Paris, you first need to apply for and receive clearance from Campus France (part of the French Government). This clearance can take up to 3 weeks, so get started now!

Use this French Visa Application Checklist (Fall 2024) à Part 1 (to guide you through the Campus France and VSF Global process)

Important: OIE will upload your study abroad acceptance letter to your OIE student portal (this acceptance letter is a requirement of Campus France).

Below are three videos that we recommend watching as you begin the Campus France application.

Step 2: Schedule an appointment with VFS Global that is between May 30th and July 15th

The French government requires that all students participating in a Fall 2024 Paris semester program submit their visa applications directly to a VFS Global Center. You may submit your visa application at any of the following VFS Global Center locations:

New York City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
San Francisco
Washington D.C.

Step 3: Complete the visa application and collect all required documents

You may also find the French Visa Application Checklist below helpful, as it contains important tips on how to complete your French visa application. Once you've prepared all your visa materials, we strongly encourage students to schedule a VDR session- see Step 4 below.

French Visa Application Checklist (Fall 2024) àPart 2 (skip to page 2)
Johnny Thunderbird - French Sample Visa Application (Fall 2024)
Financial Guarantee Form

Step 4: Schedule and attend a VDR session with an OIE Advisor

All Paris semester study abroad students are recommended to schedule an appointment to meet with an OIE advisor.

When scheduling your appointment, please keep in mind that you should have all visa application documents completed and ready to be reviewed by your VDR session date. You should expect the session to last 30 minutes.

Click here to schedule your VDR session.

Step 5: Receive your passport with affixed French visa

Passports (with the affixed French visa) will be returned directly to you from VFS Global. At the end of your visa appointment, you will receive instructions on how you will be notified to pick-up your passport and visa. It generally takes 6 weeks for visas to be processed and ready for pick-up.

Most students who are not U.S. citizens will need to secure two visas to study abroad in St. John's Western Europe Semester (WES) program: (1) an Irish visa, and (2) either a French or Italian visa.

Please contact [email protected] as soon as you confirm for the program to discuss your next steps. Travel for non-U.S. citizens in the Schengen territory and Ireland is dependent upon your country of citizenship.

Non-U.S. citizens will also need Proof of Legal Residence in the United States to re-enter the U.S. at the end of the program: for permanent residents, a Green Card (valid until at least 6 months after the program end date); for international students, a U.S. visa (valid until at least 6 months after the program end date) and a Form I-20 signed by ISSSO prior to departure (valid through date of SJU graduation). Non-U.S. citizen students cannot secure a visa for their study abroad program without Proof of Legal Residence in the U.S. that is valid until at least 6 months after the program end date.

All non-U.S. citizens will need to meet with OIE to discuss their individual situations; email OIE at [email protected].

Step 1: Schedule an appointment with the Italian Consulate in New York

All students are responsible for submitting their visa applications directly to the Italian Consulate in NYC. Please remember to schedule your visa appointment ASAP as appointment slots fill up very quickly! Review the Short-Term Italian Visa Application Checklist for instructions on how to book your visa appointment for the Italian Consulate in NYC through their website.

Step 2: Complete the visa application and collect all required documents for the Visa Document Review (VDR) Sessions

Please use the Short-Term Italian Visa Application Checklist as it contains details regarding each requirement, so that OIE can review all of the documents that you will submit to the Italian Consulate for your visa application (this includes your passport and proof of legal residence in the U.S.). Follow the Checklist exactly and you shouldn’t have any issues!

Step 3: Provide your completed Visa Application packet for review by OIE during one of the VDR sessions at least two weeks prior to your Italian Consulate appointment date

All non-U.S. citizens participating in a Short-Term program are strongly encourage to meet with an OIE advisor at least two weeks prior to your Italian Consulate appointment date. During the appointment, an OIE advisor will review your completed visa application documents.

When scheduling your appointment, please keep in mind that you should have all visa application documents completed and ready to be reviewed by your VDR session date. You should expect to the session to last 30 minutes.

Sign up for an VDR session by emailing OIE at [email protected]. See above on this page for full details on what types of ODR sessions are available.

Note: Your verification letters required for your Italian visa application will be uploaded to your OIE student portal. Please let OIE know the date of your visa appointment, so your letters can be uploaded in time for you to print them for your visa appointment.

Step 4: Provide your visa application documents and passport to the Italian Consulate

Attend your scheduled appointment with the Italian Consulate to submit your completed visa application documents and passport.

Step 5: Receive your passport with affixed Italian visa

Passports (with the affixed Italian visa) will be returned directly to you by mail from the Italian Consulate in NYC. Processing time should be between 4 and 6 weeks. Please confirm processing time during your visa appointment.

The Office of International Education recommends that any non-U.S. citizen students with related questions schedule an advising appointment with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services and OIE.

Non-U.S. citizens will need Proof of Legal Residence in the United States to re-enter the U.S. at the end of the program: for permanent residents, a Green Card (valid until at least 6 months after the program end date); for international students, a U.S. visa (valid until at least 6 months after the program end date) and a Form I-20 signed by ISSSO prior to departure (valid through date of SJU graduation). Non-U.S. citizen students cannot secure a visa for their study abroad program without Proof of Legal Residence in the U.S. that is valid until at least 6 months after the program end date.

All non-U.S. citizens will need to meet with OIE to discuss their individual situations; email OIE at [email protected].

There are many required documents needed to secure a visa, and this is your first step towards learning how to take the initiative to navigate consulate requirements. This process is a great way to begin developing key skills and competencies that will carry with you not only during your study abroad program, but throughout your career. We know you might feel overwhelmed at times, but OIE is here to help!

All students applying for a visa are recommended to participate in a 30 minute Visa Document Review (VDR) Session for OIE to review your visa application. There are 3 types of VDR appointments listed below:

1. Online: You have a set day/time to meet via WebEx with an OIE advisor.

2. In-person: You have a set day/time to meet face-to-face with an OIE advisor in Marillac 210.

3. E-review: You will upload your visa documents and receive emailed feedback (see note below)

Click here to schedule your VDR appointment. Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Important VDR notes: for each type of VDR appointment, students need to upload their materials to the "Visa Document Review Submissions" questionnaire in their OIE student portal. For option #3: OIE needs a minimum of 2 business days to review uploaded visa materials.