<p>Do I need to provide each year the ability to pay for college in order to get the F-1 Visa? Or just for the first one?</p>
<p>You need to have funds for the first year readily accessible in a bank account, and a convincing plan to pay for the remaining years.</p>
<p>Thanks! Also, if my college tuition/fees payment plan is based on monthly installments, do I still need to have all the funds for the first year in a bank account? </p>
<p>The text of the law is as follows:
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<p>The standard in current practice is that students should have secured all funding for their first year (e.g. in a personal savings account, via a sponsor who has that money on hand, or as an approved bank loan) and a convincing plan to cover the cost for the remaining years. </p>
<p>Without secured funding, foreign students might have an incentive to pursue unauthorized employment or commit financially-motivated crimes. The foreign students might also drain resouces from the local community when they go begging for scholarships or other forms of assistance that were meant for domestic students or other community members.</p>
<p>That being said, the law itself is flexible as long as you can convince both your college (who has to issue your I-20) and the consular officer at your visa interview that you will have the resources to cover all expenses as they come up.</p>