Must I first obtain permission from the ins to obtain an f-1 student visa?
No. The foreign student seeking to enter the U.S. to study does not require any advance permission from the Immigration and Naturalization Service. However, the student must obtain a certificate of eligibility, (INS Form I-20 A-B), from the academic institution at which the student will study. This certificate should be submitted with a nonimmigrant visa application and supporting documentation to a U.S. consulate in the student's home country. Then, after the visa is issued, the student may simply apply at the border for admission to the U.S., just as any nonimmigrant would.
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