I-20 form (see the sample image below) links the student and the university which has granted admission to him/her.It identifies the student,the school he is hopping to attend, the degree sought,intended major, English proficiency of the student, student's country of origin and the cost of attending the school. It will clearly show how the financial obligations of the student (expected expenses during the course of study at-most for 1 year period) will be met. The form also includes the student tracking number (SEVIS number - "Student & Exchange Visitor Information System" number) for the student and program
Pre-requisite for an I-20:
1) Acceptance to a program (undergrad or grad course) from an university/school
2) If the school requires "English Proficiency", then the student must have demonstrated his "English Proficiency" by some means ( ex: TOEFL,IELTS scores etc..,)
3) Cost of attending the university/school (estimated upto maximum 12 months)
4) Information on how the student will be supported financial for the above mentioned period (by grants, scholarships, fellowships,self support,support from family etc..)
After obtaining I-20:
The university which accepts the student will fill-up the I-20 with the above mentioned information and will send it to the student by post. Once the student receives the I-20, he/she needs to sign it. To obtain a F1-student visa, the student needs to go to a nearby US consulate/embassy (with prior appointment and DS160 form) with a valid passport and the completed I-20 form. List of US consulates and their addresses around the world can be obtained from here.
The US consulate will issue a F1-student visa (which will be stamped on your passport). Then you can go ahead and purchase your plane tickets.
Landing in the US: (I-94 card)
After you have landed your feet on the US soil, the first form you will fill-up is the I-94 form (This is also called arrival-departure record card/form - see sample image below). It will record your date of arrival and your duration of stay in the US. You may remain in the US till the departure date marked on the I-94.
Note: I-20 is NOT applicable for international students who are wishing to enroll in a primary/secondary school in United States.
Sample I-20 Form:
Sample I-94 form:
Thanks for your detailed explanation about VISA application for international students. I am an international applicant for PhD program in the States. And I have a question concerning proof of sufficient funds.
ReplyDeleteIf admitted, I will be going with my wife. The Universities I applied ask me to fill in financial statements to prove that I have enough money for our stay. The problem is, some Universities say I have to prove that I will have enough money for my entire stay (which will be around 5 years). And some other Universities only ask me to prove sufficient funds for 12 months' stay.
I am quite confused. What is the financial requirement for VISA application? For F1 and F2 applications, how much money should I have? 12 months? Or our entire stay? I am afraid that while the University asks for a year's money, the Embassy will need a proof of five years' money for our stay.
I hope you are still reading the comments on older post. And I would be very grateful for your help. Thanks.
Hi Derek,
ReplyDeleteUsually most of the univs ask for financial documents that support your stay for 1 year. F1/F2 visa is simply dependent on I-20 form. US Embassy does not insist you to prove your financial ability. If your I-20 form is properly filled and endorsed by your university that will do for obtaining F1/F2 visa.
If your university asks for financial documents for 5 years, just confirm it from them once again through mail or phone. If they still insist that you have to provide documents for 5 years stay, tell them that you are able to provide Financial documents for only 1 yr or 2 and try to convince them. Else there is no other way out. It all depends on the university which accepts your documents and not the embassy.
Hope it helps.
hi Derek,
ReplyDeleteThe financial requirements for a period of 1 year of your stay will be specified by your university. Just search their latest webpages/catalogs/brochures for this information.
For example,
For RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic institute) the financial requirement for 1 year period (for Ph.D without aid) for the year 2011-2012 was around $56,000.
For NCSU (North Carolina state university), this amount to $38,000 (for spouse you need to add additional $5000-$6000)
Hi, very good post. May I know one thing. Do the financial documents that we sent to university prior to obtaining an I20
ReplyDeleteare sent to the embassy?
Hi,
DeletePlease refer point 4) under the heading "Pre-requisite for an I-20". As a pre-requisite, you need to show how your financial obligations will be met. Financial documents has to reach the university within the stipulated time. Then only they will be able to process your application for I-20.
Embassy will not receive your financial documents. They just need data from the university on how you will be meeting your financial needs.
Delete