2. If your program provider requires you to obtain your own visa, contact the Consulate or Embassy for the country in which you will be staying for exact details. One of the primary jobs of a consulate is the issuing of visas, and they see a large volume of visa applications everyday. All consulates work on a per jurisdiction basis, meaning that they divide the United States into regions. You must first figure out which consulate has jurisdiction over you. For instance, the French Consulate in Washington, DC is the consulate with jurisdiction over residents of Pennsylvania. A resident of California may not apply for a visa to the French Consulate in Washington. They must instead find the consulate that has jurisdiction over their region. It sounds confusing, but all of the regions of jurisdiction are clearly outlined on the consulates websites. Generally, they will have a line on their website to the following effect: "If you are a resident of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and Maryland, please click here. All others, please visit the Main Consular Services Website to determine your consular jurisdiction."

To begin the visa process, we recommend that you use the consulate's website for information. You can also call a consulate of the country in which you wish to study. Tell them that you will be studying abroad, for how long, and ask them what the procedures are for obtaining the necessary visa.

Note: Calling consulates can be very frustrating as they generally have an extremely large volume of requests per day. Because of the volume, most consulates have moved to automated-answering systems which may simply tell you to visit their website (where we recommend you start anyway). Most consular websites are incredibly thorough and conatin all of the information that you will need to obtain and application, complete it, and send it with all of the necessary supporting documentation.

A good way to avoid any frustration is to begin the application process as soon as you are accepted to your program. In most cases, obtaining a visa is a painless enterprise if you allow enough time. It can become difficult if you wait too long to apply. Patience is necessary as you are dealing with another culture. Remember though, you will not be allowed to apply for a visa until you are accepted, so simply wait until you have that Acceptance Letter in your hand and then worry about obtaining a visa.