VISA question

My cousin just turned 18, she wants to go to college here in the US
she is in Mexico Veracruz amd has never been to the US.
I want to know what the requirememts are for her to get a student Visa
To come to the US I know there are 2 forms but im confused...
what applications must she filed?
What specific website should i visit?

Try looking for more info at USCIS.GOV

I am clueless about that subject.

For a student visa, the main thing is proving that you and/or your family have the capital to finance the education and living expenses in the US for X number of years. It's quite pricey, and generally, with a student visa, you're not allowed to work, except under exceptional circumstances. So be ready to show a significant bank account.

Second, I know that for Mexican nationals, getting any type of visa, especially these days, is more complicated so you really need to prove beyond doubt that you're coming to study, and not with the intention of overstaying.

The official US Embassy in Mexico website is a good place to start: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/visas/no...n-the-u.s.-f-m

Uffff ... But the intention is completely to stay after studying.
She does not a cannot keep living in Mexico with all this crime.
What about as a refugee?

Most of our parents migrated here because of the lack of resources to make ends meet in our countries of origin, coming in as a student won't be happening legally as long as there is a financial struggle, it's also a tough case to request asylum, she would need to show a legitimate fear for her life, which I hope she doesn't currently have!

Either way, best of luck to her!

I see. Well, you can stay after studying, but that involves getting work sponsorship. And reading people's experiences on various forums, that's not too easy to get these days either. Getting married to a US citizen is the other "easy" option, of course.

So first you need to show that you have the finances for ~2 years of tuition as an international student, plus living expenses. For instance, this state university in California lists the annual expenses for an international student at a whopping $54,238 per year. This will vary by state and school, and will of course be much less at a community college.

And that's the other thing -- you need to apply and be accepted into a college before coming here.

You need to prove to the officials at the US consulate/embassy in Mexico that you have strong ties in Mexico, strong enough that you'll want to come back. Generally, this means that your family is well off, that your parents are college educated and have a good-paying job, own properties, etc.

Then I suggest she move to a place with lots of USC tourist and fall in love with a USC. Seriously. Coming over here so young and living the life of an illegal is not glamorous at all.

Life in the US as an illegal is no life.

I understand the violence over there is bad but coming over here is not the answer either. Shell still be living in the shadows and having to watch her back over here.

I read it said to show evidence that she can pay for the first year of school in the US, in any case her first year or two would be at HCC (houston community college) to learn english as soon as she gets her and get her basics (that including am associates degree)

This might not be what you wanna hear... but if she's trying to go to HCC there is no way she's gonna get a student visa approved for that. She needs to apply to a 4-year university and pretty much have a solid application about a career. I think we all know that getting to the US legally from countries such as Mexico (visa wait times, etc.) is extremely difficult if you don't have a good economic situation already over there. And if it really was as easy as just going over to the US embassy in Mexico, many many many would have left before turning 18 and applied there legally.

Just to give you a better idea. I was in the process of applying to various schools in Canada. The first step is getting accepted to a school, then it's proving that you have either sponsorship from the school (scholarships/research) or that you can afford to pay for your education yourself. Finally, it's going to the embassy once you have your approval letter from the school and financials figured out, then they decide whether or not to give you a student visa. I suspect the process for US schools would be similar if not more difficult.

My advice is to tell your cousin to attend college in Mexico, learn English in Mexico, and get in a field where she can find internships with companies that have ties with the US so she can be 'transferred' to the US for work at some point. A friend of mine is doing so, getting an internship with Ford and she's in Hermosillo. Good luck!

Getting a Student visa for Community college is quite difficult .The main problem for any US visa is that you must showcase you have strong ties in your home country that would compel you to go back when your studies are finished not to continue your stay in the US.The truth is that every consular official assumes that EVERY individual going for a visa at the embassy has an interest in staying permanently so there must be evidence that you can showcase the intention is not so.The evidence required also increases dependent on how long the stay so I don't see an 18 year old honestly having enough evidence to prove such.

The violence in Mexico wouldn't be enough for an asylum claim,imo.Asylum only has any real chance when an individual is being persecuted by their Government and it is well documented by articles,affidavits and eye witness accounts.

One thing to note as well that many may not know,but Consular officials are also very wary of giving young women visas .