WELCOME! LET’S GET YOU READY FOR YOUR JOURNEY TO PRATT MUNSON!

We are pleased you are joining us at Pratt Munson!

Most new international students will need to request a new SEVIS I-20 from Pratt Munson. With your I-20, you can then pay required U.S. government fees, apply for and receive your F-1 student visa, and finally make travel plans. Students who already currently hold an active I-20 and valid F-1 status at another U.S. school should apply for a SEVIS Transfer to Pratt Munson.

International students who will study on another type of immigration status (such as Fulbright J-1, F-2, H-4, J-2, E, etc.) do not need to apply for an I-20, and should notify ISS@prattmunson.edu of their alternative status.

Once you are admitted and have paid the enrollment deposit, you will be provided a “OneKey” to log into Pratt and Pratt Munson systems. After your OneKey is activated, set up and check your Pratt email address regularly. Within three business days, you will receive an invitation from Pratt’s Office of International Affairs to access the OIA Student Portal to apply for your I-20.

All correspondence from Pratt’s Office of International Affairs and Pratt Munson’s International Student Services will be sent to your Pratt email address.

For the I-20 application you will need to upload: 

• A copy of your passport
• Your financial statement
• An affidavit of support (if the financial statement is not in your name)

You can prepare the appropriate financial documentation in advance, so you are ready to submit your I-20 application immediately once you get access. New I-20s are processed within five (5) business days of a complete I-20 request. We do not process I-20s nor respond to emails during non-business days, which include weekends and official campus closures. For equity reasons, Pratt Munson does not accept any requests for expedite and processes completed requests in the order they are received.

Please note that visa wait times, procedures, and processing times vary widely between consulates and may change rapidly without notice. U.S. consulates do not accept intervention from the school for student visa applications.

As part of your I-20 application, you will need to prepare a financial statement. To issue your I-20, Pratt Munson is required to verify your financial ability to cover estimated expenses for one academic year (Fall/Spring, 9 months).

Your statement can show funds from your own bank account, the bank account of a sponsor, or a combination of the two, but the funds must be liquid, meaning easily accessible.

The minimum estimated expenses, in U.S. Dollars (USD), for the 2026-2027 academic year is $74,392.

If you would like to see a breakdown of Cost of Attendance, that is available for you on our website.

If you are awarded a Pratt Munson scholarship, you can deduct the award (per academic year) from the above amount, and specify the scholarship amount for one academic year within the I-20 application.

If you have a legal spouse and/or child under 21 you wish to bring as an F-2 dependent, contact ISS@prattmunson.edu. Please note that additional funding for your dependent(s) will be required to be shown on your financial statement.

Submitting a financial statement that does not meet our policy will result in delay of your I-20 production.

Most common financial statements:

• Bank statement or bank letter
• Scholarship letter
• Approved loan letter

Acceptable statement requirements:

• Dated within the last six months
• List name of the account holder
• Show exact account balance and type of currency (example BRL)
• Be on official letterhead and include name and contact details for financial institution/sponsoring entity
• Be in English – or translated to English (upload both documents if translated)
• Multiple statements from multiple sources are accepted if needed. Pratt Munson uses a currency converter (xe.com) to convert any non-USD balances to USD.

We cannot accept:

• Salary letters/pay checks/job offer
• Mutual funds or stocks
• Retirement accounts
• Equities
• Life insurance
• Mortgage or other proof of assets

If your financial statement is not in your own name (the student), an affidavit of support is also required. If your family member is providing their bank statement as your sponsor, you should ask them to provide the affidavit of support with their bank statement.

Electronic/digital signatures are acceptable, but only typing the name in regular font is not acceptable.

Please note our template needs to be followed closely; any corrections needed will delay your I-20.

Affidavit of Support Template

If your sponsor is a company, organization, or government, they may provide a separate affidavit of support or award letter on letterhead with a signature.

Estimated expenses for I-20 purposes are generalized by degree level and only used for the purpose of your I-20 issuance. This total amount has been calculated from our standard Cost of Attendance. Please remember that this is an estimate.

Your actual costs, for example exact tuition cost, housing cost, computer/software needs, etc., will vary depending on your specific academic program and your individual personal situation/choices.

Regardless of your personal situation, Pratt Munson cannot negotiate the standard amount you need to show for the I-20 issuance.

As there is currently no Universal Healthcare coverage in the State of New York, Pratt Munson requires all students to hold our standard health insurance coverage by default, or submit a waiver request showing coverage by a similar alternative plan. Even with health insurance, medical expenses can be significant.

The cost of living in the US may differ significantly from that of your home country. International students have extremely limited employment options inside the U.S. You should not plan to fund your studies through work as this isn’t realistic. In addition, international students are not eligible for need-based aid and governmental assistance. Please do not make your decision to come with the expectation that you will be able to receive or earn additional funding to support your studies inside the U.S. once you arrive.

It is also important to be aware that the cost of living can fluctuate during your time at Pratt Munson, and will increase significantly when you transition to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NYC. Decline in your home currency value as compared to USD can unexpectedly decrease your available funds. You also may have personal/family changes that can affect your financial resources. We urge students and their sponsors to have realistic plans for increasing financial demands. You should also anticipate additional unexpected expenses during the course of your study. For example, academic delay, emergency travel, technological expenses, medical costs, etc.

Once you have received your I-20 from Pratt Munson, you are ready to start your F-1 Student Visa application. The steps are listed below.

Citizens of Canada and Bermuda are exempt from entry visa requirements, but need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

If you already have an unexpired, uncancelled F-1 entry visa in your passport from any U.S. school it will also be valid for use with your Pratt Munson I-20.

Pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee:

All new I-20s require payment of a SEVIS I-901 fee to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for maintenance of your SEVIS record. If you have a Transfer or Change of Level I-20 with the same SEVIS ID as your prior study I-20, you do not need to pay the SEVIS fee again.

Do not attempt to pay the SEVIS fee before you get your I-20. You need your SEVIS ID, which is only produced after your I-20 is created. Your SEVIS ID is on the upper right hand corner of your I-20 (N00XXXXXXXX). Your School Code for Pratt Munson is on your I-20 (Pratt at Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute – Utica: BUF214F10380000)

Pay the fee with a debit/or credit card and print a copy of the I-901 fee payment receipt to take to your visa interview.

Complete the DS-160 and Pay the Visa Fee:

The DS-160 is the online non-immigrant visa application for the U.S. You will need to complete the DS-160 online and pay the visa application processing fee(s).

Total visa fees vary depending on your personal details. The visa fees go to the U.S. Department of State, who issue entry visas. This is different from the SEVIS I-901 fee, which goes to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who admits you to the U.S. and allows you to stay in the U.S.

The visa application (DS-160) asks for our School Code/Program Number as well as other information that you can find on your I-20 page 1. We’ve provided our School Code codes above in the SEVIS I-901 fee section for your convenience, but please refer directly to your I-20 for your full information unique to you and your program.

Schedule Your Visa Appointment:

After you submit your DS-160, you can schedule your F-1 student visa appointment.

U.S. entry visas are issued by U.S. Consulates worldwide. The specific procedure to schedule an appointment and appointment wait times vary by consulate.

You are recommended to apply at the U.S. Consulate location closest to your permanent residence. The U.S. Department of State maintains an online listing of the address, phone number, email address, and special instructions for every U.S. Consulate location offering student visa applications.

Please be sure to read the instructions for the U.S. Consulate location where you make your appointment. Not every location is the same. Some locations require two appointments. In general, an in-person interview is required and biometrics (fingerprint and eye scan) are collected.

Make sure to review your local consulate’s information on what documents you should bring with you, as requirements vary. Documents you may be asked for include:

• Your passport
• Pratt Munson I-20
• Financial statement(s) (and affidavit of support, if applicable)
• Pratt Munson admission letter
• SEVIS I-901 fee receipt
• DS-160 barcode page
• Any evidence of temporary intent in the U.S. or ties to your home country, such as family responsibilities, property or permanent job offer in home country, if applicable

Schedule the earliest possible F-1 student visa appointment. If the available appointment is after your I-20 program start date (on page 1 of your I-20), you should immediately phone and/or email the consulate and request an Emergency or Expedited appointment based on your I-20 start date.

Do not give up on this and keep asking, as many consulates will deny emergency appointments until it is very close to the I-20 start date. Pratt Munson and the Office of International Affairs at Pratt Institute cannot intervene in securing any earlier visa appointment for students, as U.S. Consulates only accept requests from the visa applicant themselves.

The Visa Decision:

Review these critical visa interview tips before you attend your visa appointment.

The interview is with a U.S. government official called a Consular Officer. The interview will be conducted in English, be very short, and you will likely be standing while talking to the officer through a glass window. There will be many other visa applicants interviewing at the same time.

Arrive on-time. Be prepared and answer all questions honestly and clearly. It is very important that you explain your rationale and your intention for studying in your academic program, in the U.S., at Pratt Munson. Only show the officer the documents they ask for.

An F-1 student is a non-immigrant status. As such, you are required to demonstrate non-immigrant, temporary intent, and show ties to your home country either through your words or documents.

The most common reason for visa denial, called 214(b), is failure to prove to the Consular Officer that your time in the U.S. will be temporary. If you are told your visa is denied, request the denial reason in writing and send it to OIA@pratt.edu and ISS@prattmunson.edu for review. Please be aware that Pratt Munson/Pratt/OIA cannot intervene or overturn visa denials. You are eligible to reapply if you feel you can gather and present documentation to overcome the reason for denial.

(This information is coming soon)