What is an I-20
An I-20 form is the official government document which certifies that a person is eligible to apply for an F-1 student visa. This form is not automatically generated for non-immigrants. It is issued once students are accepted to a full-time program and show that they have enough financial resources to cover one year of academic study. The I-20 is then used to apply for an F-1 visa at a United States Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
Before you can apply for your F-1 or M-1 student visa for the U.S., you must apply to and be accepted by a school approved by the SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program). Only SEVP-approved institutions can issue an I-20 for International students.
Page 1 of I-20 Contains:
The SEVIS ID (printed in bold on top)
Student’s biographical information: various kinds of names, countries of birth and citizenship, and date of birth
The class of admission (F-1 or M-1; in case of additional pages added for dependents, the class of admission is F-2 or M-2)
School information (school name, school address, school SEVIS code, and the name of the DSO)
Information about the program of study: Program name, education level, normal program length, start, and end date, English proficiency
Financial information for the first year of studies, with one column for estimated funding costs and another column for funding sources
Remarks
School attestation signed and dated by the DSO
Student attestation signed and dated by the student
Page 2 of I-20 Contains:
Employment authorization (such as for Optional Practical Training or Curricular Practical Training)
Information on change of status or the cap-gap extension (for post-completion OPT)
Event history (as a table)
Other authorizations (as a table)
Travel signatures
In the case of long event histories, Page 2 could spill over to multiple pages
Page 3 of I-20 Contains:
All F and M students that study in the United States need a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” Once you are accepted into a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school, you will receive one of these two forms from your designated school official (DSO) depending on your F or M student visa status:
F Students: Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status – For Academic and Language Students.”
M Students: Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status – For Vocational Students.”
Yes, providing the originals of your I-20 at the time of the interview is required. If you, used our service to obtain your I-20 and admission package, we will mail your admission package and I-20 to your home address upon receiving it from the university.
Yes, In order to apply for a student visa, the first step is to apply for admission as an international student and get an I-20. Once you receive your I-20 you may apply to request for a student visa and go to your interview at the U.S. consulate. But don’t worry, our experts will provide all these details and information in advance and make sure you are ready every step of the way.
