VISA process - Junior Hockey or College

VISA process to play Junior Hockey

Getting the right VISA to make sure you are legally entering the U.S is crucial. The United States is known for being very strict on whom they give their visas to and they want to know exactly what you are going to do in their country, for how long, and why.

If you are playing juniors, you will not work or study, so you are going to have to get a tourist VISA (B2). The process to get a tourist VISA (B2):

Go on the U.S Department of State online nonimmigrant VISA application website (https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx)
Select the location where you will be applying for the VISA (you will need to go there the day of your interview in person so pick the one that is easier for you)
Press start an application (remember to keep the application ID so that you will be able to access your application at any time)
Fill out every question in the form
Pay the DS-160 fee (160$)
You will now get a receipt that you will have to bring to the interview
Schedule the interview on the website
On the day of the interview bring:
- your valid passport,
- the DS-160 receipt,
- a picture (passport size 5x5),
- a letter from the team you are going to so you can prove to them what you are going to do
  
  during your stay
Make sure to read everything on the documents they will send you to make sure you have

everything you need or you will be refused and will have to reschedule the appointment
The VISA interview is really easy, you will have to leave your phone upstairs at security, go thru a

metal detector and you will be sent down where they will make you a bunch of easy questions,

take your fingerprints and make sure that you are not a terrorist.
So after that, you will have to leave them your passport and they will send it back to you in about

5 or 6 days with the VISA on the inside.

The day you will fly to America, you will have to show your visa to TSA (Security) and they will write you a date on the same page of your VISA. That date is the one you must watch and make sure you are not staying more than what it says there, because even if your VISA is available for one full year that doesn’t mean that you can stay in the US for a full year you have to respect the date written by the TSA people and if you need more time make sure to request it in advance so that they can prolong your stay.

If you overstay in America for more than a year you will be denied of coming back for ten years so make sure you are not overstaying any of the dates and if one of the dates is before you think you are going to be back you should reach out to them as soon as possible and ask them what to do.

One option they could tell you is to leave the country and come back so you could drive up to Canada or take a flight there for a couple of days and come back and you will get a new stamp for another six months (that can be avoided if you tell them soon enough)

VISA process to play College Hockey

If you are trying to go to college, you are going to need to ask for a student VISA (F1).

You will have to request the school an I-20 document from the school that basically says that you are accepted in the school.

Process

to get a student VISA (F1):

Go on the U.S department of State online nonimmigrant VISA application website (https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx)
Select the location where you will be applying for the VISA (you will need to go there the day of your interview in person so pick the one that is easier for you)
Press start an application (remember to keep the application ID so that you will be able to access your application at any time)
Fill out every question in the form
Pay the DS-160 fee (160$)
You will now get a receipt that you will have to bring to the interview
Schedule the interview on the website
Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee for F, M or J applicants (250$)
The day of the interview bring:
- your valid passport,
- the DS-160 receipt,
- The I-901 SEVIS FEE receipt
- a picture (passport size 5x5),
- The I-20 document from your school
- Bank statement or document that shows how you are going to pay for the school
Make sure to read everything on the documents they will send you to make sure you have everything you need, or you will be refused and will have to reschedule the appointment
The VISA interview is really easy, you will have to leave your phone upstairs at security, go thru a metal detector and you will be sent down where they will make you a bunch of easy questions, take your fingerprints and make sure that you are not a terrorist.

• So, after that you will have to leave them your passport and they will send it back to you in about 5 or 6 days with the VISA on the inside.

If you did it correctly, the student VISA should last four years until you are done with school so you will not have to worry about a VISA for the next four years.