Form I-20
Tanım
Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, is a US document issued by an SEVP-certified school after it accepts a student and records them in SEVIS. F-1 and M-1 applicants need it to pay the SEVIS fee, apply for a visa and enter the United States.
How Form I-20 works
An SEVP-certified school issues Form I-20 after it admits a student and enters their record into SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. The form carries a SEVIS ID and lists the student, the school, the program, its start and end dates, and the estimated cost of attendance and funding.
The I-20 is supporting evidence, not a visa. With it, an F-1 or M-1 applicant pays the I-901 SEVIS fee, completes Form DS-160 and attends a consular interview. Fees and processing times change, so verify current amounts on the official U.S. government sites before advising a student.
Who needs an I-20 and what to check
Prospective F-1 academic students, M-1 vocational students and their F-2/M-2 dependents each receive an I-20. Applicants for a US student visa must present it at the interview and again when entering the United States, so the name must match the passport exactly.
A new or updated I-20 is issued for changes such as a new program, an extension or a transfer. Because a single error can derail an interview, education agents check each I-20 carefully on arrival, confirm the details against the DS-160, and store it securely.
For study-abroad agents, the I-20, the SEVIS fee receipt and the DS-160 confirmation become a dated checklist per student, and a platform like VisaCRM flags a missing or mismatched I-20 before it costs a visa interview.
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Is Form I-20 a US visa?
No. Form I-20 is a Certificate of Eligibility issued by your school, not a visa. It lets you pay the SEVIS fee and apply for an F-1 or M-1 visa at a US embassy or consulate, and you present it again at the port of entry. The visa itself is a separate decision made by the U.S. Department of State.
Who issues Form I-20?
An SEVP-certified school issues the I-20 after admitting you and creating your record in SEVIS, and a designated school official signs it. You cannot obtain an I-20 from a US government agency directly; it comes from the institution you will attend, usually once you have accepted your place and shown you can fund your studies.
What do I do after I receive my I-20?
Check that every detail matches your passport, pay the I-901 SEVIS fee, then complete Form DS-160 and schedule your visa interview. Bring the I-20, the SEVIS fee receipt and the DS-160 confirmation to the interview. Keep the I-20 for entry to the United States and throughout your studies, as you will need it again.
What if information on my I-20 is wrong?
Contact your school's designated school official before applying. A mismatch between your I-20, passport and DS-160, such as a misspelled name or wrong program date, can cause problems at the interview or border. The school can correct the record in SEVIS and reissue the form, so allow time for this before your appointment.
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