I-20 Documentation Requirements

Rachael Johnson: Hi, I’m Rachael Johnson. I’m an Assistant Director, and I work in International and Graduate Programs at Washington University School of Law. I am joined today by my colleague, who I will let introduce herself.

Jamie Rogan: Hi, I’m Jamie Rogan, also an Assistant Director in International and Graduate Programs at WashU Law. Rachel and I together have done I-20s and DS-2019s for years, and we often see the same issues and get the same questions year after year.

We frequently receive questions from students about their financial documentation — how they should fill it out for their DS-2019 or I-20. So we thought we’d put together this podcast to address some of those issues and answer some of those questions we regularly see.

The first question we often see is: will the student receive a DS-2019 or an I-20? Which one will they receive? This is an important question. If a student is joining our program as an exchange student — meaning they are coming from a partner school, and they will not be earning a degree from WashU Law — they will receive a DS-2019. But if they are not going to be considered an exchange student, they will receive an I-20.

Now, there are always some exceptions. So if students have any questions about the document they will receive to apply for their visa, we would recommend that they contact our office so that we can advise them as to their specific situation.

Now we’ll move on to the next question. Rachel, to start: what forms and other documents are students required to submit to get their I-20 or DS-2019?

Rachael Johnson: There are several things students will need to submit to our office to start the process.

The first thing they’ll need to submit is a valid, non-expired passport. This can be a photo of the passport or a scanned copy, and the name, date of birth, and photo all need to be legible.

Second, they’ll submit a bank statement. Now, this cannot be a photo — it has to be a scanned copy. The bank statement can be in your home currency; we will convert it to U.S. dollars in our office. The bank statement has to be dated within the past six months, and it has to have the name of the account holder in English. If it includes an expiration date — which it does not need to, but if it does — it should be on or before August 1 if you’re joining us for the fall semester, and January 1 for the spring semester.

And third, students will receive a packet of information and forms they’ll need to complete. They’ll receive this packet either with their admission or shortly after, depending on the timing of their admission. This packet will state the amount of funding they will need to show for themselves and any dependents they’re bringing, if any.

The forms that need to be completed are: the Declaration and Certification of Finances, which also includes the Sources of Funds sheet; an Affidavit of Financial Support — and that is only needed if the bank statement is not in the student’s name; and a Dependent Information Form, if they’re bringing any dependents, as well as a passport for each dependent.

Okay, Jamie — on to the next question. Can the student have more than one financial sponsor?

Jamie Rogan: The answer is yes — there is no limit on the number of sponsors. In other words, a student can have one sponsor, or they can have several sponsors.

Moving on to another question: about how long should the process take? How much lead time should the student give themselves?

Rachael Johnson: This is a great question, because it is very important. After they have submitted all of their materials, students can expect it to take up to four weeks to process. This is assuming we have received all needed information and that all forms are completed correctly.

Okay, next one. Jamie, can a student deduct their scholarship, if they’ve received any, from the total required dollar amount for their I-20?

Jamie Rogan: The simple answer to that question is yes. That would mean that the student would not need to show as much funds on their financial documentation, such as their bank statements, since they can deduct that scholarship amount on their documentation.

Moving on to our next question: what should a student do if circumstances change after receiving their I-20 — such as a program change or a scholarship adjustment?

Rachael Johnson: Sure — so we get this question quite a bit. If a student does have a change, they can simply email our office at intllawdocs@wustl.edu (W-U-S-T-L dot edu — it stands for International Law Docs), with the change that they’re requesting. They should keep in mind that, while the processing time may be shorter than for their original I-20, it could still take several days. So they just want to keep that in mind when scheduling their visa interview.

So now, Jamie — can a student bring their parents with them as dependents?

Jamie Rogan: We would recommend that parents consult with the nearest consulate so that they can determine which visa would be most appropriate for them. Another point to keep in mind: only children and spouses can accompany a student as dependents on either an F-2 or J-2 visa. So this means that a parent is not considered a dependent.

Now, another question for Rachel. What are some common reasons for delays in processing the I-20?

Rachael Johnson: Okay, this has quite an involved answer. We see a lot of different issues. Sometimes the forms are filled out incorrectly, or they are not completed, or we are missing something else entirely — like a passport or a bank statement.

For example, if a parent is sponsoring the student, the bank statement would not be in the student’s name; it’s in the parent’s name. I have seen the student put the funding in the “personal” row on the Sources of Funds sheet, when it should actually be included in the “parents and/or relatives” row instead. Or, again on the Sources of Funds sheet, the student didn’t include the total at the bottom. That form also needs to be signed at the bottom — sometimes students forget that.

Keep in mind: the funding and Sources of Funds sheet both need to total at least the minimum shown in the packet of materials. The amount shown can be more than that requirement, but it cannot be less.

And finally, another common mistake we see is that the parent or relative did not sign the Affidavit of Financial Support. So if the parent, relative, or friend is sponsoring the student, they will need to have the sponsor sign the Affidavit of Financial Support. Basically, if the bank statement the student provides is not in the student’s name, they will need to submit the Affidavit of Financial Support form, and that form will need to be signed by whomever is sponsoring the student.

So I think that covers all of our regular questions and issues that we see. Jamie, do you have anything to end with — any helpful hints you’d like to provide the students?

Jamie Rogan: Yes — there are a few things that come to mind. It is important to read all the instructions and information in your packet carefully, so as to submit the correct documentation for your I-20 or DS-2019. If the student thoroughly reviews everything in the packet and double-checks everything before submitting it, that will ensure that their I-20 or DS-2019 will be processed in a more timely manner — meaning that the student can apply for a visa in a more timely manner, ensuring that they arrive on time for the program.

Speaking of timing — that’s my final helpful hint. I can’t stress enough that timing is important. The earlier you get your materials to us, the better, so the sooner we can address any issues and get your I-20 back to you, so you are able to schedule your visa appointment.

Rachel, do you have anything to add?

Rachael Johnson: Nothing else for now — but we hope all of this information will help those of you who will be preparing your financial documentation for your immigration document. We look forward to seeing you at WashU Law soon.

Jamie Rogan: Thanks for listening.

Rachael Johnson: Thank you. See you soon.