Quality education is a necessity to survive in the fast-paced competitive environment that we live in today. There is no dearth of good educational institutions in India, but, a lot of young minds prefer going to a foreign institution for higher studies if given the option. The most popular amongst these have been the American universities that see quite a large number of Indian students in their classrooms every year. This number is only going to increase in the coming years and hence it becomes necessary to have adequate awareness about what is necessary when one is doing research for their higher studies.
One of the important factors to keep in mind while doing this research is to note whether international travel insurance is required for a student visa application or not. Also, as seen by the trend over the years, a lot of families go to see off their children when they embark upon this journey or keep visiting them through the course of their degree. Should a student insurance plan be invested in for this purpose specifically or an existing one will suffice should be checked.
India is not a part of the list of countries that fall under the USA Visa Waiver Program and so all students travelling to the United States of America whether it is for studies, an exchange program or to work will require a non-immigrant US student visa for the purpose of temporary stay. There are three major types of student visa that are segregated based on the purpose for which the travel to the States is being undertaken. There are a number of documents that will have to be filled and an interview taken to be granted the visa. However, a major part of the documents that are required in order to be granted the visa and subsequent entry into America is a travel insurance plan. This is a mandatory requirement for most of the schools and universities and should cover the entire duration of the stay of the student.
The insurance plan should cover the basic medical and hospitalization cost and cost of any other emergency that might occur during the course of residing in the country. It is advisable to buy the insurance before going there rather than purchasing it from the university because you are only going to end up paying an exorbitant price for it whereas it could have been purchased at probably one-third the cost. All the Indian insurance companies tend to have their company representative in the US which makes it easier for the students to apply for the claim and also to seek any support should they require so. One should understand that medical care in America is under the private sector and hence is extremely and unnecessarily expensive. The treatment of a minor illness can cost a small fortune. Apart from that any unfortunate event like the loss of important travel document, loss of luggage or a missed flight can really cause a great hassle to a student who is living alone in a foreign land. Knowing that there is someone out there to look after them during the time of crisis not only helps the students but also helps their families back home to stay calm. There are certain student specific benefits also attached with having an insurance plan like sponsor protection, tuition-fee waiver and bail bond. Irrespective of their need or not, it always helps to have something to protect you in an unknown land.