International Students

DFA is approved to issue I-20s to international students. We have locations in New York and Atlanta, and with our hybrid and fully online options you’ll be able to attend classes at either of our campuses or online anywhere in the world. 

This school is authorized under Federal law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students.

Please take notice – visas take time to process. We strongly suggest that you contact Admissions at [email protected] after you apply to the school to start the process.

To obtain an I-20

First apply to the Digital Film Academy (either online or by mailing or faxing an application). International Students are required to pay $500 tuition deposit in order to receive the I-20 document. Once registered, we will process the I-20 application and send to you to take to the US Embassy or Consulate.

You will need to provide evidence that you or your family have a minimum of US$32,000 in funds available to pay for the entire cost of your tuition and living expenses. An interview at a US Embassy or Consulate is required to apply for a visa. It can take from a few days to a few months to get an interview, please contact the US Embassy in your country to determine how long it takes to get an interview and be granted a visa. If you’d like to check the expected processing time for an F-1 student visa in your country, click here https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html/ and enter the name of your nearest city.

If you are currently in the US as a student on an M-1 or F-1 visa you can transfer your I-20 to Digital Film Academy’s film school. Also if you are currently in the US on a tourist or other visa, Digital Film Academy can assist you in submitting a change of status to F-1 for you to study at DFA. Please contact the International Office of Admissions for more information.

• Enrollment Application
• Tuition Deposit ($500) by wire transfer, credit card authorization or a bank/cashier check through mail.
• Proof of School Diploma OR College Transcript (translated and notarized). If the document you submit is from a school or college outside the USA, we will also need to have a credential evaluation check done on your qualification to ensure it is at least the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma. Below is a list of organizations who do credential evaluations which Digital Film Academy can accept:
  – IES www.iesedu.org
  – Academic Evaluation Services, Inc. http://aes-edu.org/website/home/index.cfm
  – A2Z Evaluations, LLC http://www.a2zeval.com/
  – Center for Applied Research http://www.cfar.com/
  – Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. https://www.ece.org/ECE
  – Educational Records Evaluation Service, Inc. http://www.eres.com/
  – e-ValReports http://www.e-valreports.com/
  – Evaluation Service, Inc. http://www.evaluationservice.net/
  – Foundation For International Service, Inc. https://www.fis-web.com/
  – Global Services Associates, Inc. http://www.globaleval.org/
  – International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. http://www.icdeval.com/
  – International Ed. Research Foundation, Inc. https://www.ierf.org/
  – Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. http://www.jsilny.org/
  – Span Tran Educational Services, Inc. https://www.spantran.com/

After your Studies

After you have studied for one year at Digital Film Academy, you can apply for CPT (Curricular Practical Training) or apply for OPT (Optional Practical Training). When you apply for OPT, once you receive permission it means you can stay on one more year in the USA without paying for any further tuition. You are free to work in the digital media industry and legally earn money in the USA as an international student. Since you will have free access to Digital Film Academy’s equipment, you can get the necessary work experience and build your professional portfolio. To find out how to apply for CPT or how to apply for OPT, contact Digital Film Academy’s Admissions Department.

Contact

International Office of Admissions
1.212-333-4013
[email protected]