I 20 form USA is a certificate of eligibility provided by the school on admission for international students. The I 20 form proves that a candidate is a legitimate student enrolled in an accredited USA college or university. To apply for a student visa, international candidates must have the I 20 for USA. It is issued by Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified school stating that a candidate has been admitted to a academic study program. The form makes the candidate eligible to apply for an F1 or M1 visa. Once the i 20 in USA visa is approved, candidates can apply for driver’s license, Social Security number, and be qualified to work on campus or off campus. If a student is less than 18 years of age, their parents need to sign the I 20 form USA. As of July 1, 2016, the redesigned Form I-20 is required for all F and M non immigrant visa applications, entry into the United States, travel, and applications for non immigrant benefits. The previous version of the Form I-20 (with a barcode) is now invalid. There are two types of I-20 forms issued to international students, depending on the type of visa:

• Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Non immigrant (F-1) Student Status – For Academic and Language Students
• Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Non immigrant (M-1) Student Status – For Vocational Students

Check: I 20 form USA sample

I 20 Visa USA Application Process

The process of applying for an I 20 form USA and generating important documents involves various steps:

1. Once the admission process is completed, the college/university gathers all the necessary financial and identification information.
2. After successfully completing the admission process, the personal details are entered into the U.S. government database known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
3. SEVIS processes the information provided and generates an I-20 form for the student.
4. The I-20 USA Visa document obtained from the government database is then signed and stamped by the designated school official (DSO) and sent to the candidate.
5. Once the student receives the I-20 form, they have the option to request any necessary changes to the information.
6. The DSO will assist in making these amendments through SEVIS, resulting in the generation of a new I-20 form.
7. Once this is done, the student will have to apply for the Visa with the I 20 form
8. The I-20 includes a unique Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) assigned number, which is crucial for the F1 visa application.

Paying the SEVIS USA I 20 Fees

The DSO or designated school official must send the I 20 form before the SEVIS fee can be paid. This is because while paying the SEVIS fee, the information from the I 20 form is required. The I 20 Fee USA is USD 350 (INR 28769). The details that the candidates need to provide before paying the I 20 form USA Sevis Fee are:

• Personal Details - Name, address, Date of Birth and email address
• Country of birth and country of citizenship of the student.
• School Code - Mentioned on the Form I-20 “Certificate of Eligibility for Non immigrant Student Status.”
• SEVIS Identification Number as listed on the Form I-20.

Candidates have the option to pay the SEVIS fee with a credit card, check, money order or Western Union. If the candidate chooses to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee via money order:

• They will have to take a printout of the payment coupon via FMJFee.com.
• This coupon will have a unique number.
• This needs to be mailed with the cheque or money order.

I 20 Form Required For

Students or tourists might have this question regarding who needs an I 20 form. Everyone does not require an I 20 Visa for travel. There are few genres who need it. The I 20 form is required for an internation student who are:

• Non immigrant who has never attended a school or a university in the United States
• Non immigrant wishing to transfer from a secondary school, college, or university in the US
• Non immigrant changing your current visa status to a F-1 visa
• Non-immigrant returning from a leave of absence of more than five months, from the US

Changes to the I 20 Form

There might be instances where some information or details in the I 20 form is found to be incorrect or invalid. In those scenarios, the student needs to apply for a new I 20 form. The situations where a new I 20 form is required are:

• Changes in the personal details
• Change in academic program dates
• Change in college or university
• Addition of work authorisation
• Update on visa status
• Reduced Course Load (RCL)- Student not being enrolled as a full-time student due to final quarter/semester, medical condition, and academic difficulties.
• Practical Training including Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
• Leave of absence and withdrawal

Candidates must report changes to the principal of the DSO within 10 days of the change. This will then be reported to SEVIS and a new I-20 form will be issued.

Validity of the I 20 Form

The students must keep the I 20 form as long as they are in the united States. It is the proof of the students status in US. The school in which the candidate is admitted states the start and the end dates of the program. This time period is the validity of the I 20 form.

Undergraduate Students

The completion date is the last day of final exams of the semester when the degree requirements are fulfilled.

Graduate Students

The completion date is the day on which all degree requirements are fulfilled, such as filing the thesis or dissertation in the Graduate Division. This is considered in case where there is no extension such as research or MBA programs after the due course.

The 60-day Grace Period

When students complete a study program, they are allowed a 60-day grace period to either

• Leave the United States
• Request a school transfer
• Change visa status.

If the student is willing to work in the United States after their program completion must apply for Optional Practical Training work authorization. This should be done before the expiration of the 60-day grace period.

The US officials on arrival will ask for the I 20 USA Visa form. The candidates must keep it handy in order to process the immigration smoothly. The I 20 form is the sole document that proves that an international student is staying in USA for studies. Without the I 20 form, the candidate will not be considered a valid US student.

FAQs

Ques. Who issues the I-20 Form?

Ques. What is the I-20 form processing time?

Ques. Can I receive multiple I-20 forms from different US universities?

Ques. How to know the expiration date of I-20 Form?

Ques. How long can I stay in the US after my I-20 expires?

Ques. Can I-20 be issued online?

Ques. Can I get a New I-20 Form?

Ques. Should I keep all copies of my I-20s?

Ques. Do my family members need I-20s?

Ques. What if Your I-20 Form goes Missing?