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By Olami, AbroadPilot · Reviewed September 2026 · Source: SEVP / your I-20
Quick summary: There is no national dollar figure for US student visa proof of funds. The requirement is calculated per student: your school works out a “cost of attendance” for your specific program and prints it on your Form I-20. You must show you can cover that figure, minus any funding already listed on the form itself. Anyone quoting a single national number for the US has invented it.
Why the US has no published amount
Unlike the UK’s flat monthly rate or Canada’s tiered living-cost figure, the US requirement is set at the institution level. Your school calculates tuition, fees, living costs and other estimated expenses for your specific program and location, and reports that total as your “cost of attendance” on the I-20. There’s no separate national threshold to check against — the I-20 figure is the requirement.
What counts toward it
The I-20 typically already lists any funding your school knows about — a scholarship, an assistantship, a sponsor. You need to demonstrate funds for the remaining, unfunded portion: personal or family funds, a loan, or another sponsor, evidenced through bank statements, sponsor letters, or loan approval documents as your consular officer requests.
The mistake this creates
Because there’s no single number to anchor against, some guides and agents quote a rough estimate (“$25,000–$50,000 a year”) as if it were an official figure. Treat any number not printed on your own I-20 as a guess, not a requirement.
Free tools for this
- Proof of Funds Calculator — enter your I-20 cost of attendance to work out your own figure
- Proof of Funds by Country — how the US approach compares to the UK, Canada, Australia and Germany
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need to prove for a US F-1 visa?
Whatever figure your specific school prints as “cost of attendance” on your I-20, minus any funding the form already lists. There is no national dollar amount to check it against.
Why do some websites quote a specific US dollar figure?
They’re estimating, not reporting an official requirement. The actual figure is set per student by their school and appears only on that student’s own I-20.
What documents prove I can cover the I-20 figure?
Bank statements, sponsor letters, loan approval documents, or scholarship confirmations, depending on what your consular officer requests — there’s no single fixed document list published nationally.
Official & verified sources
Checked against the official DHS/SEVP guidance on 27 July 2026. Confirm your specific cost of attendance directly with your school’s international student office.
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