Visa & documents · Step 2
Form I-20: the document the university issues, and everything else follows from it
Without an I-20 you cannot pay the SEVIS fee, cannot apply for a visa, and cannot enter the United States. This page covers what the university needs before it can issue one, how your SEVIS record works, and what to check on the form itself.
01
What the I-20 is
The I-20 is the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. A school certified by the US government to enrol international students issues it to an admitted student who has documented their funding. It tells the immigration authorities three things: that you have been admitted to a specific program, when that program runs from and to, and that you have the money to complete it.
The I-20 stays with you throughout your studies rather than being used once at the interview. You need it to pay the SEVIS fee, to attend the visa interview, to enter the United States, to prove your student status when dealing with paperwork in the US, and to re-enter after any trip abroad.
A-State issues the I-20 once you have been admitted and your financial documents are in. That is the only claim this page makes about the university’s own process; for anything else — how to submit, who to contact, how you receive the form — confirm with the admissions office.
Source: studyinthestates.dhs.gov — Study in the States (DHS) · ice.gov — SEVIS · Updated Aug 22, 2026
02
What the university needs before it can issue an I-20
Three groups of documents. Missing any one of them stops the file where it is, and this is the single most common cause of delay.
| Requirement | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | A decision admitting you to a specific A-State program | The I-20 has to name the exact program and level you were admitted to |
| Passport copy | The biographic data page of a valid passport | Your name, date of birth and citizenship on the I-20 must match the passport exactly |
| Financial evidence | Documents showing funds covering one year of study | US law requires a student to document their ability to pay before a school may issue the I-20 |
| Dependent documents | Passports and proof of relationship, if family will accompany you on F-2 | Each dependent needs their own I-20 and additional documented funding |
The amount you must document is based on one year of cost for your program, and it changes from year to year. This page quotes no figure — see the cost of attendance page on this site and confirm the current requirement with the admissions office.
Getting the financial evidence right
- The documents must show clearly whose account it is and how that person is related to you
- If a relative is sponsoring you, include evidence of their income as well
- Certified English translations for any document not in English
- The funds must cover a full year of study, not a single semester
- Never borrow money to open a short-term account and withdraw it afterwards — the documents must reflect reality
- Ask the admissions office for the requirement that applies to your intake year before you go to the bank
Source: studyinthestates.dhs.gov — Study in the States (DHS) · travel.state.gov — Student Visa · Updated Aug 22, 2026
03
How your SEVIS record works
SEVIS is the system the Department of Homeland Security uses to hold the record of every international student. Understanding it explains why every document has to match every other one.
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1
The school creates your record
Once you are admitted and your documents are complete, the university enters your details into SEVIS and prints your I-20 from it.
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2
You receive a SEVIS ID
It is printed on the I-20, starts with the letter N and is followed by a number. This is your identifier in the US immigration system.
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3
That ID follows you through every later step
You pay the SEVIS I-901 fee against it, enter it on the DS-160, and carry the I-20 bearing it to your interview and to the border. One wrong digit and the records do not match.
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4
The school updates the record as you study
The international student office updates SEVIS when you check in on arrival, when you register each term, if you change major, if you extend your program, and when you complete it.
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The record reflects your status
This is why maintaining F-1 status matters so much: what SEVIS holds is the official record of you as far as US immigration authorities are concerned.
Source: ice.gov — SEVIS · fmjfee.com — SEVIS I-901 fee · Updated Aug 22, 2026
04
Check your I-20 the moment it arrives
A small error on the I-20 can hold you up at the interview or at the border. Read every line before you take any further step.
Compare each field against your passport and admission letter
- Your name spelled and ordered exactly as in your passport
- Date of birth, place of birth and country of citizenship all correct
- Passport number correct, and the passport still valid
- Program name and level exactly as in your admission letter
- Program start and end dates that make sense for your plans
- The funding section naming the right payer and the right source of funds
- A SEVIS ID that is legible character by character
- A school official’s signature — and your own signature in the student section
05
When your details change
The I-20 has to keep matching your real situation. These are the common changes and the general handling — your own case is always decided by the international student office.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| New passport, or a name change in your passport | Tell the university and request a reissued I-20 so it matches the new passport |
| Deferring to a later intake | Ask the university to defer your start and issue a new I-20 with the new start date. Ask at the same time whether a SEVIS fee already paid can be applied |
| Changing major or level of study | The university updates SEVIS and issues a new I-20 naming the correct program |
| Needing more time to finish the program | Request an extension of the program end date before that date arrives, not afterwards |
| A change in funding or in who is paying | Submit the new financial documents so the university can update the funding section of the I-20 |
| Adding or removing an F-2 dependent | Tell the university so a dependent I-20 can be issued or cancelled |
| Moving to a new address in the US | US rules require students to report a new address to the school within 10 days of moving |
The general principle is to tell the school before something changes rather than afterwards. Almost everything here is straightforward when handled ahead of a deadline, and considerably harder once one has passed.
Source: studyinthestates.dhs.gov — Study in the States (DHS) · ice.gov — SEVIS · Updated Aug 22, 2026
06
Transferring between schools
If you move between certified schools — arriving at A-State from another institution, or leaving A-State for one — your SEVIS record transfers rather than a new one being created. The precondition is that you are maintaining F-1 status at the time of the transfer.
The general sequence: the new school admits you, the two schools agree a transfer release date for your SEVIS record, your current school releases the record on that date, and the new school then issues you a new I-20. From that point the new school’s international student office is responsible for your record.
On the visa: if your F-1 visa is still valid you generally do not need a new one simply because you transferred, even though the visa names your previous school — but you must carry the new school’s I-20 when you travel. This point is widely misunderstood, so confirm your own circumstances with the international student office and read the official page before booking travel.
Source: studyinthestates.dhs.gov — Study in the States (DHS) · travel.state.gov — Student Visa · Updated Aug 22, 2026
07
How the I-20 differs from the visa
Two documents, issued by two different parties, doing two different jobs. Confusing them is the most common mistake in the whole process.
| Form I-20 | F-1 visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Your school, through SEVIS | A US embassy or consulate |
| Physical form | A printed form carrying your SEVIS ID and signatures | A stamp placed in your passport |
| What it does | Certifies that you are eligible to study and have documented funding; needed throughout your studies | Lets you travel to a US port of entry and request admission |
| When you need it | SEVIS fee, interview, entry, paperwork in the US, and re-entry after travel abroad | Only when travelling into the United States from outside |
| If it expires | An expired I-20 while you are still studying is a serious problem — extend it in advance | An expired visa while you are in the US and in status does not affect your status, but you need a new one to return |
| Who can correct it | The university’s international student office | Only the post that issued it |
In short: the I-20 establishes who you are as a student, the visa lets you travel to the border, and a CBP officer decides whether you come in. Three separate things, none of which substitutes for another.
Source: travel.state.gov — Student Visa · i94.cbp.dhs.gov — Form I-94 (CBP) · Updated Aug 22, 2026
08
Read next
What the F-1 visa is
What the visa permits, how it differs from a visitor visa, F-2 dependents, and refusals.
→The visa interview
The DS-160, appointments and the document pack — the I-20 is the first item in it.
→Maintaining F-1 status
After enrolment: check-in, full course of study, reporting address changes, travel signatures.
→Cost of attendance for one year
The figure your financial evidence has to cover before the university can issue the I-20.
→Form I-20 questions
How long does it take the university to issue an I-20?
This page quotes no figure, because it depends on the time of year and on whether your file is complete. What you control is submitting everything correctly the first time: a clear passport copy and financial documents that meet the requirement. Ask the admissions office about the state of your own file.
What if I lose my I-20?
Contact the university’s international student office and ask for a replacement. Do not present a photocopy in place of the original at an interview or at the border. Once you have the new one, keep a photo of it on your phone so you can check details when needed.
My name on the I-20 differs slightly from my passport. Does that matter?
Yes. Your name has to match across your passport, your I-20 and your DS-160. Ask the university to correct and reissue the I-20 before you file the DS-160 or attend an interview, rather than trying to explain the discrepancy at the window.
I have already paid the SEVIS fee and now need a reissued I-20. Do I pay again?
That depends on whether your SEVIS ID changes and on the rules in force at the time. Ask the international student office and check the guidance on fmjfee.com — do not pay a second time before asking.
Does the I-20 expire?
The I-20 carries a program start date and a program end date. If you need longer to complete your program, you must request an extension before the end date passes. Dealing with it afterwards is a far more difficult situation.
Who is allowed to correct information on an I-20?
Only an authorised school official, working through SEVIS. You must never write on, amend or erase anything on an I-20. If something is wrong, ask the university to issue a replacement.
Source: studyinthestates.dhs.gov — Study in the States (DHS) · ice.gov — SEVIS · fmjfee.com — SEVIS I-901 fee · ceac.state.gov — DS-160 · Updated Aug 22, 2026
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