I-20 (form)

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The Form I-20 (also known as the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students) is a United States Department of Homeland Security, specifically ICE and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), document issued by SEVP-certified schools (colleges, universities, and vocational schools) that provides supporting information on a student's F or M status. [1] [2] Since the introduction of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) run by SEVP, the form also includes the student tracking number (SEVIS ID number) and school code. The Form I-20 is only for F-1, F-2, M-1, and M-2 statuses. J-1 and J-2 status holders have an equivalent Form DS-2019 which is issued by a United States Department of State-designated J exchange visitor program.

Contents

Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students I-20-sample.pdf
Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students

Structure

Current structure of I-20

The I-20 was updated starting June 2015, with all new I-20s issued using the new format starting June 26, 2015, and the new I-20 necessary for all students seeking entry or re-entry starting July 2016. The main reason for the update to the form was the standardization of names in SEVIS. The changes include: [3]

The new Form I-20 is three pages long. Each dependent gets an additional three pages, with the same format. [4]

Page 1 contains the following:

Page 2 contains the following (this is information that appeared on Page 3 in the previous I-20):

In the case of long event histories, Page 2 could spill over to multiple pages.

Page 3 contains instructions.

Structure of I-20 until June 2015

The Form I-20 used until June 2015 has three pages, of which the second page was an instructions page, so that only the first and third pages contained information specific to the student's SEVIS record. [5]

Page 1 contains the following:

Page 3 includes the following:

An additional Page 4 may be included for information on the student's dependents, if any.

Overall role

SEVP-certified institution

The Form I-20 is issued by a Designated School Official (DSO) at the institution (college, university, or vocational school). Only institutions that are SEVP-certified can issue Form I-20s. An institution can acquire SEVP certification by filing Form I-17 with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (this is a one-time process). [6] Note that an institution can be SEVP-certified despite not holding national or regional accreditation. [2] Conversely, an institution may hold national or regional accreditation but may have chosen not to obtain SEVP certification if it does not intend to admit international students in the F, J, or M status.

A large university typically has an international office that manages its participation in the SEVP, and all the DSOs work for this office. The international office manages updates to the SEVIS record and issuing of new paper Form I-20s. Students who have any change to their plans (such as program end date, course load, leave of absence, return from leave of absence) must communicate these changes with their international office.

Student SEVIS record and Form I-20

At the time the first Form I-20 is issued to the student (after accepting the offer of admission from the institution) a record is created for the student in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). At any given time, the responsibility for keeping the student's SEVIS record up to date falls with the SEVP-certified institution the student is currently enrolled in. If the student transfers to a different SEVP-certified institution, the responsibility of updating the SEVIS record now falls on the new institution. [7]

The Form I-20 can be thought of as a paper representation of the most up-to-date SEVIS information on record for the student's current enrollment. Whenever there are substantive changes to the information, the SEVIS record is updated, and a new Form I-20 is issued to the student by the institution with the updated information. The student must use the most up-to-date Form I-20 when demonstrating student status. [8]

Process

Issuance of first Form I-20

Once the prospective student has accepted the institution's offer of admission, the institution issues a Form I-20 to the student. [1] [2]

Apart from biographical information about the student (including the student's name, date of birth, citizenship, etc.), there are two main pieces of information that must be entered in the student's SEVIS record and the initial Form I-20.

Each international office may follow its own rules or guidelines regarding the type of documentation it requests from the student or from other departments in order to be able to issue the I-20. The jargon used for this documentation will also vary by institution. For instance, the University of Chicago and University of Michigan uses the term "Financial Resources Statement" for the statement that students need to submit to it regarding how they will meet their expenses, [9] [10] while the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign uses the term "Declaration & Certification of Finances for I-20/DS-2019 Application". [11]

After receiving information from the student and institution regarding the program length and end date, the international office creates the student's SEVIS record, gets a SEVIS number for the student, and issues a Form I-20. A physical copy of the form may be mailed to the student overseas. In the case that the student has a SEVIS record from previous student status, the existing SEVIS record should be transferred. [7]

The international office may refuse to issue a Form I-20 if the student is unable to demonstrate how he or she plans to cover expenses for the first year.

Use of Form I-20 while transitioning to student status

The Form I-20 is used in the following stages of the transition to student status in the United States:

For those entering the United States in student status, the date of entry to the United States is treated as the start date for the student being in the F or M student status (even if this is before the program start date). For those transitioning to student status from another status, the date of transition indicated on the Form I-539 is treated as the start date.

Subsequent use of Form I-20

Establishing legality of status and stay

The Form I-20 serves as evidence of the legality of the student's current presence in the United States. Note that a valid visa is not necessary for being in lawful student status; a valid visa is only needed when entering or re-entering the United States. [15]

Documentation of student status for United States government purposes

The Form I-20 may be used to demonstrate student status when applying for United States government documents and benefits such as Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and Social Security Number. [16] It is also required to demonstrate authorization to work for students on Curricular Practical Training. [17]

Travel and travel signatures

Whenever the student re-enters the United States after traveling, the student must have all of these at the time of arrival at the port of entry: [18]

Since travel signatures are valid for only a year, students need to periodically get updated travel signatures on their I-20 from their international student office. The purpose of this requirement is to avoid cases where people who are no longer enrolled as students at an institution keep using an outdated Form I-20 to get in. In particular, when adding a new travel signature to the OPT, it is the responsibility of the international student office to make sure that the student is still enrolled at the institution. In case the Form I-20 runs out of space for travel signatures, the international office may print out a new Form I-20 for the student.

In the special case of automatic visa revalidation, whereby the student returns to the United States after a trip to Canada, Mexico, or a nearby island for at most 30 days, it is not necessary to have a valid visa at the time of re-entry. However, it is still necessary to have a valid Form I-20 and a travel signature. [19]

Changes to Form I-20

In general, whenever there are changes to the information in Form I-20, a new Form I-20 is issued. [8] The student is advised to keep all historical Forms I-20 for the record but only the most recent copy should be used for travel or as proof of current student status.

Changing the program end date

It may happen that the student's actual program end date falls earlier or later than what the student expected. It is necessary that a new I-20 be issued reflecting the current program end date, both prior to the program's actual end and prior to the stated program end date on the Form I-20.

If the Form I-20 is being shortened, the international office may require the student to submit evidence showing that the student has enough academic credits to graduate early. [20] If the Form I-20 is being extended, then, in addition to any evidence from the student about changed academic plans, the international office also needs an updated statement of financial resources for the new I-20 to cover up to one year of the I-20 extension.

After the change to the program end date is made in the student's SEVIS record, the new Form I-20 is issued to the student.

It is important to note that the program end date on the Form I-20 need not coincide with the graduation date. Rather, it is the end date of the student's enrollment in courses. It is not possible to extend the program end date simply in order to be able to stay around till the graduation ceremony. If the graduation ceremony falls outside the 60-day grace period of completion of coursework, then the student must find some other way to be legally present for it (for instance, by staying around on Optional Practical Training, or getting a B visa for the graduation ceremony). [20]

Other changes

The following are some other types of major updates to the student's SEVIS record that require changes to the Form I-20. In all cases, the student must contact the international office beforehand and have a new I-20 issued in advance: [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to manage foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The SEVP encompasses the F status, J status, and M status. The exchange visitor part of the program is managed by the U.S. Department of State, although the SEVIS system is maintained by ICE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green card</span> Lawful permanent residency in the United States

A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Green card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). As of 2019, there are an estimated 13.9 million green card holders, of whom 9.1 million are eligible to become United States citizens. Approximately 65,000 of them serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travel visa</span> Authority to enter, stay in, or exit a territory

A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual has the ability to work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.

The H-1B is a visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H) that allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation requires the application of specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or the equivalent of work experience. The duration of stay is three years, extendable to six years, after which the visa holder may need to reapply. Laws limit the number of H-1B visas that are issued each year. There exist congressionally mandated caps limiting the number of H-1B visas that can be issued each fiscal year, which is 65,000 visas, and an additional 20,000 set aside for those graduating with master’s degrees or higher from a U.S. college or university. Individuals cannot apply for H-1B visas on their own to allow them to work in the U.S. An employer must sponsor them for the visa. There were 206,002 new and initial H-1B visas were issued in 2022.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is a program of the United States federal government that allows nationals of specific countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism, business, or while in transit for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. It applies to all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which also have an additional program with waivers for more nationalities; American Samoa has a similar but separate program.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a period during which undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 status who have completed or have been pursuing their degrees for one academic year are permitted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work for one year on a student visa towards getting practical training to complement their education. Foreign students currently enrolled at a U.S. university can receive full-time or part-time work authorization through Curricular Practical Training. In 2021, there were 115,651 new non-STEM OPT authorizations, a 105% increase from a decade ago. According to Pew Research, there were 441,400 OPT approvals from India and 313,500 from China between 2004-2016.

Form I-94, the Arrival-Departure Record Card, is a form used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intended to keep track of the arrival and departure to/from the United States of people who are not United States citizens or lawful permanent residents. While the form is usually issued by CBP at ports of entry or deferred inspection sites, USCIS can issue an equivalent as part of the Form I-797A approval notice for a Form I-129 petition for an alien worker or a Form I-539 application for extension of stay or change of status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada permanent resident card</span> ID document

The Permanent Resident card is an identification document and a travel document for permanent residents of Canada. It is one of the methods by which Canadian permanent residents can prove their status and is, along with the permanent resident travel document (PRTD), one of the only documents that allow permanent residents to return to Canada by a commercial carrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian passport</span> Passport issued to citizens of Canada

A Canadian passport is the passport issued to citizens of Canada. It enables the bearer to enter or re-enter Canada freely; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the United States</span> Policy on permits required to enter the United States and its unincorporated territories

The visa policy of the United States consists of the requirements for foreign nationals to travel to, enter, and remain in the United States. Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply for travel to all U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with additional waivers, while similar but separate rules apply to American Samoa.

In the United States, the F visas are a type of non-immigrant student visa that allows foreigners to pursue education in the United States. F-1 students must maintain a full course of study. F-1 visas are only issued in U.S. embassies and consulates outside the United States, although extensions of stay and changes of status may be possible within the United States. Prospective F-1 students must apply at the schools and receive a form I-20 in order to apply for an F-1 visa. F-1 students must show that they are able to support themselves during their stay in the U.S., as their opportunities for legal employment are quite limited. F-2 visas are given to dependents of an F-1 student. F-2 visa-holders are prohibited from any form of compensated employment. However, minor children may attend public schools. Finally, the F-3 visa is issued to Canadians and Mexicans who commute across the border to attend American schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B visa</span> Visitor visa for the United States

A B visa is one of a category of non-immigrant visas issued by the United States government to foreign nationals seeking entry for a temporary period. The two types of B visa are the B-1 visa, issued to those seeking entry for business purposes, and the B-2 visa, issued to those seeking entry for tourism or other non-business purposes. In practice, the two visa categories are usually combined and issued as a "B-1/B-2 visa" valid for a temporary visit for either business or pleasure, or a combination of the two. Nationals of certain countries do not usually need to obtain a visa for these purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J-1 visa</span> Type of United States visa

A J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States to research scholars, professors and exchange visitors participating in programs that promote cultural exchange, especially to obtain medical or business training within the U.S. All applicants must meet eligibility criteria, English language requirements, and be sponsored either by a university, private sector or government program. In 2022, the State Department issued 284,486 J-1 visas, with a visa approval rate of 88.8%. Between 2001 and 2021, there were 6,178,355 J-1 visas issued by the State Department.

The M-1 visa is a type of student visa in the U.S. reserved for international students attending vocational schools and technical schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passport of Kosovo</span> Passport of the Republic of Kosovo issued to Kosovar citizens

The passport of Kosovo is a travel document that is issued to the citizens of Kosovo. The document facilitates international travel as well as serving as proof of citizenship. The issuance of passports is the prerogative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the exception of diplomatic passports which are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kosovar passports comply with all the recommended standards set for machine-readable passports by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), but the country/citizenship code RKS is not within ISO 3166 and thus not ICAO-endorsed. The passport design was disclosed on 14 March 2008.

Work and Travel USA is a United States Government program that allows foreign university students to travel and work within the United States for several months. Run by the U.S. Department of State, the program has approximately 100,000 participants between ages 18 and 30 each year. Each student is sponsored by an American employer.

Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status is one of the forms issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is used by people currently in the United States in a non-immigrant status to change the classification for their status and/or extend their stay with their current status. Both the current status and the status to which the transition is being sought must be non-immigrant visa statuses.

Deferred inspection is a procedure in immigration enforcement in the United States for Arriving Aliens. Here, the final decision on whether to admit the Arriving Alien, instead of being conducted at the port of entry where the alien arrived, is deferred to be carried out later at a deferred inspection site, while the alien is paroled into the United States. The guidelines followed at the deferred inspection site are largely the same as those followed by the officers at the port of entry, and are described in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Inspector's Field Manual. Aliens do not accrue unlawful presence between the time of arrival and the date of deferred inspection, but they do begin to accrue unlawful presence after their parole ends, if they are not successfully admitted at the deferred inspection site by then. The officers at both the port of entry and the deferred inspection site are part of the CBP Office of Field Operations.

The Summer Work Travel Program is a program founded and maintained by the United States Department of State, which determines the number of students that have a right to take part each year. The program works with private companies that register students into the program and help to provide information and get the necessary documents, including the J-1 visa. Some agencies also help program participants to plan their journey to their future place of work, giving the possibility of purchasing international airline tickets on students tariffs.

An I-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States for foreign media representatives and journalists who travel to the United States for the purpose of working exclusively in their profession. All applicants must meet eligibility criteria, which requires them to be residents of foreign countries, working for foreign information outlets headquartered in their respective countries.

References

  1. 1 2 "What is the Form I-20?". January 28, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "International Student Visas". EducationUSA. 4 March 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Coming Soon: A Redesigned Form I-20". June 18, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ "I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimigrant Student Status" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "SAMPLE Certificate of Eligibility I-20 (for F visa holders)" (PDF). Brandeis University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  6. ↑ "Overview of the SEVP certification process". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Transfers for F-1 Students". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Requirements of Schools Seeking F & M Certification". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Qualifying for your I-20 or DS-2019". University of Chicago . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Financial Resources Statement for Issuance of Form I-20 or DS-2019" (PDF). Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Declaration & Certification of Finances for I-20 / DS-2019 Application FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS ONLY" (PDF). Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Student and Exchange Visitor Program: I-901 Fee". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . Retrieved February 10, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Arriving in the U.S. at the Airport or the Port of Entry" . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  14. ↑ "I am a nonimmigrant. How do I change to another nonimmigrant status?" (PDF). United States Citizenship and Immigration Services . Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Visa vs. Status: One can expire; the other may not!". University of Chicago . Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  16. ↑ "International Students And Social Security Numbers" (PDF). Social Security Administration . Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Additional Documentation Requirements". United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. 30 July 2020.
  18. ↑ "Travel Signatures". Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Travel & Visas" . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Finishing Courses Earlier Than I-20/DS-2019 End Date". University of Chicago . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  21. 1 2 "Dropping a Course, Withdrawal, and On-Leave Status". University of Washington. Archived from the original on 2016-02-16.
  22. ↑ "Maintaining a Full Time Course Load". University of Chicago.
  23. ↑ "OPT (Optional Practical Training)". University of Chicago . Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Leave of Absence and Withdrawal". University of Chicago . Retrieved February 10, 2016.
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