Visas

It is your responsibility to obtain your visa. Although, normally, you cannot apply for your visa until you have received acceptance letters from both Pomona College and also from your Secondary Program, we strongly recommend that you begin gathering together the documents necessary for your visa application after you submit your application to study abroad to the OSA. 

The documents required for a visa application vary from country to country, and can even vary from consulate to consulate for the same country.  Examples of documents required for a visa application may include such items as a round-trip plane ticket, certain designated immunizations, proof of health insurance, a police report, and even copies of your parents' tax return from the previous year.  These are determined by each foreign country and may change frequently. 

To ascertain what the visa requirements are for your country, contact the foreign embassy.  Most embassies are based in Washington D.C. and have local consular offices around the U.S. through which you apply.  Often, embassies require that you apply through the consulate that is in the district of your permanent address. 

Be aware that, like the United States, many countries recently have tightened restrictions pertaining to issuing visas.  You should know, also, that visa application procedures vary considerably.  For example, some countries require you to apply in person at their consulate, while others require you to apply by mail.   

Program sponsors have experience working directly with embassies and consulates for their programs.  After you have received an acceptance letter from your program, do not hesitate to contact your program sponsor with questions about the visa process for your program.

Some students have found it helpful to identify a friend here in Los Angeles who can act as proxy for you during the visa application process if your home residence is out-of-state.  However, be aware that not all consulates permit this and you should check the requirements for your consulate carefully to find out if they will permit a proxy to drop-off or pick-up visa documents on your behalf.