In my experience, there is no better feeling than being accepted into your program of choice
to study in the USA. You’re one step closer to achieving your dreams!
While it might feel like you have gotten over the hardest part of the process, there are still some
hurdles to jump over after getting admissions from the college or university. But, what should you do
if you have not yet received your I-20 form? Thank you very much for watching this video,
I’m Ahmadreza Tavakoli, this is Persia Global. In this video,
I’m going to share some details related to what to do if you have not yet received your I-20 form.
If you're looking for gaining more updated information related to immigration and study
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Before giving you more details let’s see when & how do you get your I-20 form?
Now that you’ve been accepted and you’ve given an admission from the US college or university,
it’s time to figure out your visa and immigration paperwork to legally study in the USA.
By now, you’ve probably heard that you need an I-20 form, but how do you get one?
The I-20 Form is a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Status.
Once you have been accepted into a SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program)-certified school,
and paid your I-901 SEVIS fee, an official representative from your school will give you
the appropriate I-20 Form based on whether the school you attend is in F-1 or M-1 status. Every
school that accepts you will send you an I-20 Form once you’ve paid the fee.
Only complete the I-20 Form from the school that you decide to attend.
You will need the I-20 Form for other parts of your immigration application. So, it’s a really
important document, because You will use it to • confirm payment of your I-901 SEVIS Fee,
• apply for your nonimmigrant visa at your U.S. Embassy or Consulate,
• and enter the Unites States. when will I receive my I-20 or DS-2019?
In fact, the time of receiving your i20 form mainly depends on your level of study
and university deadlines for application, because your i20 will be issued after the
application process and deadlines reached, so if you haven’t yet received your i20 form,
check your program deadline for applying first. For admitted graduate students who are currently
residing outside of the United States, an I-20 or DS-2019 will be issued to you in a few days after
you submit your Statement of Intent form on your university portal of admission or application.
Please allow five to ten business days for the delivery of your package. You should receive a DHL
tracking number via email once your package is shipped. (If your documents are being shipped
to an address within the United States, you will receive a tracking number from FedEx.).
In some cases, you can offer a specific post or postal company to deliver your i20 postal
package. Depending on the current rules of the time i20 could also be sent online,
the same as the time of covid-19 restrictions. If you are currently attending a US university
or college on an F1 visa, you are in your 60-day grace period post-graduation, or
participating in Occupational Practical Training (OPT) you will receive
instructions to transfer your SEVIS record. For Undergraduates admitted to fall terms and have
paid their commitment deposit: I-20 processing for freshmen fall admits who reside outside of the US
will not begin until their program deadline for application. In most cases,
it would be in early May in consideration of, for example, the May 1st commitment deadline.
If you are attending a US institution on an F1 visa (which includes international freshmen at
a US high school and international students at a US college/university), you will receive
instructions to transfer your SEVIS record. I-20 documents will only be issued to students who
have submitted a copy of their passport and financial documents that meet the guidelines and
program expenses. You will be contacted directly if your documents are missing or insufficient.
Undergraduates admitted for spring terms and have paid their commitment's deposit:
I-20 processing and transfer instructions will not be issued until mid-September.
Please be sure your financial documents are updated to within one year of your January
start date for fastest processing when they begin issuing I-20 forms.
While the immigration process might seem daunting, once you have your I-20 Form,
the remaining process is not long. If you have any questions regarding your I-20 Form
or your immigration process, reach out to the school official who sent you your I-20 Form.
So, what should you do if you have not yet received your I-20 form?
The way to save your admission is to Apply for the B-2 Prospective Student visa:
Take your letter of acceptance from the college or university to the U.S.
Embassy with all the evidence required for applying for the F-1 student visa.
Explain that you have been admitted, but have not received your Form I-20 and that the college
advised you to apply for the B-2 visa with a notation saying "Prospective Student" visa.
You will be interviewed as if you were applying for a student visa, but will be issued a B-2
visa with a notation saying "Prospective Student." After you are admitted to the U.S.
and have received your Form I-20, you will need to apply for a "change of status" to F-1 student.
Do not enter the U.S. with a tourist (B-1 or B-2) visa,
unless it is annotated "Prospective Student." If you already hold a valid tourist visa,
take your letter of acceptance with all the other evidence required for applying
for the F-1 visa to the U.S. EMBASSY to request that this notation be added.
To enter the U.S. as a tourist when you plan to be a student is a serious violation of U.S. law.
Do not enter the U.S. without a visa (WT or WB status) if you are from a country from where it
is permitted to present a round-trip airline ticket for entry. You will only be able to
stay in the U.S. 90 days and cannot change to F-1 status from within the country.
Not sure whether you’re submitting the right documents? Take the guesswork
out of your immigration or study permit application
by hiring an immigration counselor. Get started by subscribing to my channel
form today or contact us to use services related to immigration or study abroad!
Thank you very much for your time, May God bless you abundantly on your immigration and
relocation journey. As always pin all your hopes on God, you will never be pinned down by men.
Until next video. I wish you have a good time and Bye-bye for now