Studying in the USA from Jordan: Admission, Visa, and Cost Guide

What US universities expect from Jordanian applicants

US undergraduate and graduate programs read your Jordanian Tawjihi certificate and any university transcripts through a foreign credential lens. Most schools ask you to get these documents evaluated by a member agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) , which converts your Jordanian grades and years of study into a US GPA and grade-level equivalent. Order the evaluation early, since it takes several weeks and universities need the report alongside your application, not after.

You also need an English test score unless you studied entirely in English. TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic are the two tests every US university accepts, and most graduate programs also want the GRE or GMAT depending on your field. Undergraduate applicants to more selective schools often submit the SAT or ACT as well, though a growing number of US universities have made these optional. Check the requirements on each program's own admissions page, since they differ by school and by degree level.

Understanding F-1 status and SEVIS

F-1 is the visa category for full-time academic students in the United States. Your university enters your enrollment into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the government database that tracks every international student from admission through graduation. Your Form I-20 is the paper printout of that SEVIS record, and the barcode number on it links your university file to your visa application and, later, to US border officers.

Each school assigns you a Designated School Official, usually called a DSO, a staff member authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to manage your SEVIS record. Your DSO issues your I-20, signs off on any changes to your program or address, and is your first point of contact for anything involving your immigration status while enrolled.

Choosing a Fall or Spring intake

Most US degree programs admit new students twice a year. Fall term starts in August or September and carries the most course options, financial aid deadlines, and orientation programming, so most Jordanian students target Fall. Spring term starts in January and works well if you need extra months to finish test scores or a credential evaluation, though fewer scholarships and course sections are open.

Confirm your target term with each university before you build your application timeline, since Fall admission deadlines typically fall many months before the term itself starts.

Applying and getting admitted

Apply directly through each university's website or through a shared platform like the Common App, where many US colleges accept one application form. Along with transcripts and test scores, expect to submit a personal statement, one or more recommendation letters, and an application fee per school. Build a list that mixes reach, match, and safety schools, and apply to enough of them that a scholarship or aid shortfall at one does not end your plan. Some universities waive the application fee for students who can show financial hardship, so ask the admissions office directly if the standard fee is a barrier.

Once a university admits you and you accept the offer, its international student office issues Form I-20, the document that starts your F-1 visa process. To get the I-20 you must show the school proof that you or your sponsor cover at least the first year of tuition, fees, and living costs, normally through a bank letter or statement in your name or a sponsor's.

Paying the SEVIS fee

Before you book a visa interview, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee for your I-20 record, currently $350 for F-1 students, through the official FMJfee.com payment portal run by ICE. Keep the payment receipt. You need to show it at your interview, and it does not transfer if you switch to a different school before the visa is issued.

DS-160 and the visa application fee

Complete Form DS-160, the online nonimmigrant visa application, using the SEVIS ID number from your I-20. Pay the nonimmigrant visa application (MRV) fee, currently $185 for F, M, and J categories, before you schedule your interview. A third charge, the $250 visa integrity fee created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has applied to F-1 and other nonimmigrant visas since October 1, 2025, and it is collected when the visa is issued rather than when you apply, with no waiver or reduction available (University of Illinois Chicago OIS ). Across the SEVIS fee, the MRV fee, and the visa integrity fee, budget $785 in US government fees alone, on top of anything you already paid your university.

Booking and attending your interview in Amman

Nearly all first-time F-1 applicants attend an in-person interview at the US Embassy in Amman , the only post handling immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for Jordan. Upload your supporting documents online at least two weeks before your appointment and bring the originals with you. As of August 2026, the embassy schedules nonimmigrant interviews Sunday through Thursday afternoons. Check jo.usembassy.gov for the current schedule before you book, since it changes.

Bring your passport, I-20, SEVIS fee receipt, DS-160 confirmation page, a passport photo, admission letter, and financial evidence covering your full cost of attendance, not just year one. The consular officer decides on the spot in most cases. Appointment wait times shift week to week, so check the State Department's global wait time page for Amman before you plan your travel dates.

Arriving and checking in with your DSO

You can enter the United States up to 30 days before the program start date listed on your I-20, not earlier. Within the window your school sets, usually the first week of orientation, report to your DSO to check in and confirm your SEVIS record is active. Skipping this step puts your status at risk even if your visa itself is valid.

Orientation covers practical basics: opening a US bank account, applying for a Social Security number if you plan to work on campus, health insurance enrollment, and campus housing move-in. Most schools require international students to carry health insurance, either a university plan or a comparable outside policy, from day one.

What US study costs

Total cost swings enormously by school type. Community colleges and public universities charge less than private research universities and small private colleges, and costs differ again by state and by program. Every US university publishes a Cost of Attendance figure and most offer a net price calculator, so check the specific schools on your list rather than relying on a single national number. The College Board's annual Trends in College Pricing report is the standard reference for national tuition averages if you want a benchmark before you build a shortlist. Beyond tuition, budget separately for mandatory health insurance, housing, textbooks, and a return flight, since these add materially to the sticker price a school advertises for tuition alone.

Jordan sits among the more than 200 places of origin tracked by IIE's Open Doors report , which published a record 1,177,766 international students across all US institutions for the 2024/25 academic year. Open Doors breaks enrollment down by country each November, so check the current release for how Jordanian enrollment is trending before you apply. Build a bank letter or sponsor statement that lines up with the exact figures on your I-20, since consular officers cross-check the two documents line by line.

Your timeline from Jordan to a US campus