Pre-Arrival Information
Send Your Arrival Information
Please send your arrival date, time, and flight number by email to study@wesli.com at least 14 days in advance. Once we receive your arrival information, our Housing Coordinator will contact you to confirm your housing arrangement.
Please read the information below to prepare for your visa, travel and payments before you arrive.
Health Insurance
Paying Your School Fees
Visas & I-20s
Traveling to Madison, Wisconsin
Health Insurance
F-1 students are required to have health insurance. Medical care in the United States is very expensive.
If you choose WESLI's health insurance option OR do not provide proof of your own insurance, you will be automatically enrolled and the cost for the next session. It will pay for most medical treatment costs but you must also pay $20 for each doctor's visit. It will not pay for general physicals, dental care, eye exams, pre- existing conditions, or drug or alcohol problems. The cost is about $260 per session.
- If you have health insurance from your country, you must bring your card or certificate to prove you are insured.
- If you do not have insurance from your country, you will enroll in the insurance plan available for WESLI students and pay the insurance fee every two months with your tuition. The insurance covers the cost of most medical treatments.
Please be aware that eyeglasses and dental work are expensive in the U.S. It is best for you to arrange necessary medical exams for teeth or eyes in your home country before you leave.
Paying Your School Fees
Use Wire Transfer, Credit Card, or Debit Card/Checks/Cash From a Bank in the U.S.
If you don’t want to carry cash from your country to Madison, you may send your payment for tuition and health insurance directly to our bank account by wire transfer. You can find the wire transfer instructions on the invoice mailed with your Acceptance Letter. You may also pay fees with a credit card or debit cards/checks/cash drawn from a bank in the U.S.
- Tuition and housing fees need to be paid 30 days before your arrival at WESLI.
- Health Insurance fees and textbook payments can be paid at WESLI on your first day.
- Late fees are assessed when payments are one week late, additional fees are added each week the payment is late.
Find your answers on our Frequently Asked Questions page!
There are more details on what is required for your pre-arrival documents and what you can expect from your Madison experience.
Visa Information
Getting your Student (F-1) Visa
If your main purpose for coming to the U.S. is to study, you will need an F-1 student visa. A student visa allows you to study full-time, and obligates you to study full-time in order to remain in the U.S. legally. With an F-1 student visa, you must study in programs with 24 lessons or more if you wish to apply for a student visa.
F-1 Student Visa General Information
Student Visa (F-1): F-1 students must study full-time, 18 class hours per week or more (24-26 lessons per week; lessons are 50 minutes). WESLI students are usually in class 18-22 hours per week and may take more hours if preferred.
Form I-20:
To apply for a F-1 Visa, you must have a Form I-20. A Form I-20 is a US government document demonstrating you have been accepted to an approved US school. The I-20 states: "The student is expected to report to the school no later than (WESLI's start date)." Students may enter on or before the "Earliest Admission Date" but not after the start date on the I-20.
You can learn more on the US Government's website about studying in the United States.
- Apply to a SEVP-approved school and receive acceptance letter and Form I-20.
- Pay SEVIS Fee ($350) at www.fmjfee.com
- Complete DS-160 at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ and pay the visa fee ($160-$180)
- Schedule interview appointment at U.S. embassy in your country.
- Attend interview at U.S. embassy. They will give you an approval or denial at the end of
your interview. - If approved, you will go back to the embassy to get your visa and passport before
traveling. Usually the passport and visa are ready within 7 days. - Arrange travel to Wisconsin - send your flight and arrival details to WESLI.
- Confirm your housing - send your arrival details to housing.services@wesli.com if you
have requested student residence or homestay accommodations. - Pay your tuition and any housing fees 30 days prior to your arrival.
- Report to WESLI on the "Program Start Date" listed on your I-20 and acceptance letter- bring your passport, money to purchase textbooks and any other remaining fees, and proof of insurance if you are not purchasing through WESLI.
Important!
You must have an I-20 from a school in order to apply for an F-1 student visa.
Getting your I-20
An I-20 is a document that shows you have been accepted to study at an educational institution in the U.S. WESLI is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. To receive an I-20, you must complete and submit WESLI’s application and required materials.
Once you receive your I-20 and Acceptance Letter from WESLI, you can apply for a student visa at the U.S. Consulate in your country. Before you go to your visa interview, make sure that you pay all the fees required for your visa application, including the SEVIS fee (I-901). You can pay this online at the U.S. government’s website.
When you go to the U.S. Consulate in your country to apply for a student visa, you must take the following documents:
- Your I-20 from WESLI.
- Your Acceptance Letter from WESLI.
- Your SEVIS Fee receipt (Form I-797).
- Proof that you have enough money to live and study in the U.S. This can be a copy of your bank statement, a copy of your parents’ bank statement, or information from the person or organization that will support you.
- Proof that you plan to return to your country after you study in the U.S. This can be evidence that you have a job, or that you will go to school in your country, or that you have family (a husband, wife, or children) in your country, or that you own property or a business in your country.
- Proof that you are a serious student. If possible, bring copies of your high school or university transcripts with you.
- A study plan. Write a letter that describes your plan for study in the U.S. Explain why you want to learn English, and what you plan to do after you learn English.
A Very Important Note about the I-20
The program start date on WESLI’s I-20 is usually a day before classes begin to allow time for testing, placement and orientation. Students may NOT enter the U.S. after the start date on the I-20.
If you need to enter later, please tell us so that we can put that date on the I-20, allowing you to enter later.
Students may enter the U.S. up to 30 days BEFORE the date on the I-20. For example, if the start date on your I-20 is May 31, 2026, you may arrive in the U.S. between May 1, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
Please be aware that housing may not be available if you arrive more than one week before the beginning of classes. Check with us about your specific situation.
Pay your SEVIS Fee
F-1 Visas require a $350 US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SEVIS fee (this is not a visa fee). Pay it before your visa interview. It can be paid online or at Western Union.
The SEVIS Fee can be paid by the student or another person, but the student must receive a copy of the payment confirmation.
To Pay Online
- Find Form I-901 at http://www.FMJfee.com
- Complete the form online. Write your name EXACTLY as it appears on your Form I- 20.
- Pay the $350 with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express
- Print 2 copies of the payment confirmation to keep
To Pay at Western Union
- Find the Form I-901 at http://www.FMJfee.com
- Complete the form online. Write your name EXACTLY as it appears on your Form I- 20.
- Print the coupon number OR write it down and take it to your local Western Union.
- At Western Union, fill out the Quick Collect/Quick Pay Form
Example: Company Name (or Code City): SEVISFEE, Account Number: Coupon Number (ex. 010222013872390)
- At Western Union, fill out the Quick Collect/Quick Pay Form
Studying with a Tourist (B-2) Visa
If you enter the U.S. with a tourist visa, your main purpose for being in the U.S. should be tourism. It is not illegal to study part-time with a tourist visa if your main purpose in the U.S. is tourism. It is against U.S. immigration regulations to study full-time with a tourist visa. Part-time study at WESLI is fewer than 18 hours/week of classes.
Studying with Other Types of Visas
With many other types of visas (B-1, K-1, K-3, H-1B, H-4, J-1, J-2, Visa Waiver), it is not illegal to study as long as you comply with the regulations governing your immigration status. Please contact us if you have any questions about this.