Department of Homeland Security I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
OMB NO. 1653-0038
INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
STUDENT ATTESTATION. You should read everything on this page
carefully. Be sure that you understand the terms and conditions concerning your
admission and stay in the United States as a nonimmigrant student before signing
the student attestation on page 1 of the Form I-20 A-B. The law provides severe
penalties for knowingly and willfully falsifying or concealing a material fact, or
using any false document in the submission of this form.
FORM I-20. The Form I-20 (this form) is the primary document to show that
you have been admitted to school in the United States and that you are
authorized to apply for admission to the United States in F-1 class of admission.
You must have your Form I-20 with you at all times. If you lose your Form I-20,
you must request a new one from your designated school official (DSO) at the
school named on your Form I-20.
VISA APPLICATION. You must give this Form I-20 to the U.S. consular
officer at the time you apply for a visa (unless you are exempt from visa
requirements). If you have a Form I-20 from more than one school, be sure to
present the Form I-20 for the school you plan to attend. Your visa will include
the name of that school, and you must attend that school upon entering the
United States. You must also provide evidence of support for tuition and fees
and living expenses while you are in the United States.
ADMISSION. When you enter the United States, you must present the
following documents to the officer at the port of entry: 1) a Form I-20; 2) a valid
F-1 visa(unless you are exempt from visa requirements); 3) a valid passport; and
4) evidence of support for tuition and fees and living expenses while you are in
the United States. The agent should return all documents to you before you leave
the inspection area.
REPORT TO SCHOOL NAMED ON YOUR FORM I-20 AND VISA.
Upon your first entry to the United States, you must report to the DSO at the
school named on your Form I-20 and your F-1 visa (unless you are exempt from
visa requirements). If you decide to attend another school before you enter the
United States, you must present a Form I-20 from the new school to a U.S.
consular officer for a new F-1 visa that names the new school. Failure to enroll
in the school, by the program start date on your Form I-20 may result in the loss
of your student status and subject you to deportation.
EMPLOYMENT. Unlawful employment in the United States is a reason for
terminating your F-1 status and deporting you from the United States. You may
be employed on campus at your school. You may be employed off-campus in
curricular practical training (CPT) if you have written permission from your
DSO. You may apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for
off-campus employment authorization in three circumstances: 1) employment
with an international organization; 2) severe and unexpected economic hardship;
and 3) optional practical training (OPT) related to your degree. You must have
written authorization from USCIS before you begin work. Contact your DSO for
details. Your spouse or child (F-2 classification) may not work in the United
States
PERIOD OF STAY. You may remain in the United States while taking a full
course of study or during authorized employment after your program. F-1 status
ends and you are required to leave the United States on the earliest of the
following dates: 1) the program end date on your Form I-20 plus 60 days; 2) the
end date of your OPT plus 60 days; or 3) the termination of your program for
any other reason. Contact your DSO for details.
EXTENSION OF PROGRAM. If you cannot complete the education program
by the program end date on page 1 of your Form I-20, you should contact your
DSO at least 15 days before the program end date to request an extension.
SCHOOL TRANSFER. To transfer schools, first notify the DSO at the school
you are attending of your plan to transfer, then obtain a Form I-20 from the DSO
at the school you plan to attend. Return the Form I-20 for the new school to the
DSO at that school within 15 days after beginning attendance at the new school.
The DSO will then report the transfer to the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS). You must enroll in the new school at the next session start date. The
DSO at the new school must update your registration in SEVIS.
NOTICE OF ADDRESS. When you arrive in the United States, you must
report your U.S. address to your DSO. If you move, you must notify your DSO
of your new address within 10 days of the change of address. The DSO will
update SEVIS with your new address.
REENTRY. F-1 students may leave the United States and return within a
period of five months.To return, you must have: 1) a valid passport; 2) a valid F-
1 student visa (unless you are exempt from visa requirements); and 3) your Form
I-20, page 2, properly endorsed for reentry by your DSO. If you have been out of
the United States for more than five months, contact your DSO
AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATION BY SCHOOL. DHS
requires your school to provide DHS with your name, country of birth, current
address, immigration status, and certain other information on a regular basis or
upon request. Your signature on the Form I-20 authorizes the named school to
release such information from your records.
PENALTY. To maintain your nonimmigrant student status, you must: 1)
remain a full-time student at your authorized school; 2) engage only in
authorized employment; and 3) keep your passport valid. Failure to comply with
these regulations will result in the loss of your student status and subject you to
deportation.
INSTRUCTIONS TO SCHOOLS
Failure to comply with 8 CFR 214.3(k) and 8 CFR 214.4 when issuing Forms I-
20 will subject you and your school to criminal prosecution. If you issue this
form improperly, provide false information, or fail to submit required reports,
DHS may withdraw its certification of your school for attendance by
nonimmigrant students.
ISSUANCE OF FORM I-20. DSOs may issue a Form I-20 for any
nonimmigrant your school has accepted for a full course of study if that person:
1) plans to apply to enter the United States in F-1 status; 2) is in the United
States as an F-1 nonimmigrant and plans to transfer to your school; or 3) is in the
United States and will apply to change nonimmigrant status to F-1. DSOs may
also issue the Form I-20 to the spouse or child (under the age of 21) of an F-1
student to use to enter or remain in the United States as an F-2 dependent. DSOs
must sign where indicated at the bottom of page 1 of the Form I-20 to attest that
the form is completed and issued in accordance with regulations.
ENDORSEMENT OF PAGE 2 FOR REENTRY. If there have been no
substantive changes in information, DSOs may endorse page 2 of the Form I-20
for the student and/or the F-2 dependents to reenter the United States. If there
have been substantive changes, the DSO should issue and sign a new Form I-20
that includes those changes.
RECORDKEEPING. DHS may request information concerning the student's
immigration status for various reasons. DSOs should retain all evidence of
academic ability and financial resources on which admission was based, until
SEVIS shows the student's record completed or terminated.
AUTHORITY FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION. Authority for
collecting the information on this and related student forms is contained in 8
U.S.C. 1101 and 1184. The Department of State and DHS use this information to
determine eligibility for the benefits requested.The law provides severe penalties
for knowingly and willfully falsifying or concealing a material fact, or using any
false document in the submission of this form.
REPORTING BURDEN. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement collects
this information as part of its agency mission under the Department of Homeland
Security. The estimated average time to review the instructions, search existing
data sources, gather and maintain the needed data, and complete and review the
collection of information is 30 minutes (.50 hours) per response. An agency may
not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information
collection unless a form displays a currently valid OMB Control number. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Office of the
Chief Information Officer/Forms Management Branch, U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement. 801 I Street NW Stop 5800, Washington, DC 20536-
5800. Do not send the form to this address.
ICE Form I-20 A-B (3/31/2018) Page 3 of