The Form I-20 (also known as the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students) is a United States Department of Homeland Security, specifically ICE and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), document issued by SEVP-certified schools (colleges, universities, and vocational schools) that provides supporting information on a student's F or M status. Since the introduction of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) run by SEVP, the form also includes the student tracking number (SEVIS ID number) and school code. The Form I-20 is only for F-1, F-2, M-1, and M-2 statuses. J-1 and J-2 status holders have an equivalent Form DS-2019 which is issued by a United States Department of State-designated J exchange visitor program.
Structure
Current structure of I-20
The I-20 was updated starting June 2015, with all new I-20s issued using the new format starting June 26, 2015, and the new I-20 necessary for all students seeking entry or re-entry starting July 2016. The main reason for the update to the form was the standardization of names in SEVIS. The changes include:
More prominence to the SEVIS number. Better separation of student information from dependent information. Expandable field boxes that display information about cap gap extension, change of status, event history and other authorizations. General design improvements that include moving the instructions to the third page of the Form I-20, as well as the removal of the barcode, and the blocks for visa and port of entry information. The new Request Mass Reprint functionality that allows DSOs to reprint Forms I-20 for multiple students at a time.
The new Form I-20 is three pages long. Each dependent gets an additional three pages, with the same format.
Page 1 contains the following:
The SEVIS ID (printed in bold on top) Student's biographical information: various kinds of names, countries of birth and citizenship, and date of birth The class of admission (F-1 or M-1; in case of additional pages added for dependents, the class of admission is F-2 or M-2) School information (school name, school address, school SEVIS code, and name of the DSO) Information about the program of study: Program name, education level, normal program length, start and end date, English proficiency Financial information for the first year of studies, with one column for estimated funding costs and another column for funding sources Remarks School attestation, signed and dated by the DSO Student attestation, signed and dated by the student
Page 2 contains the following (this is information that appeared on Page 3 in the previous I-20):
Employment authorization (such as for Optional Practical Training or Curricular Practical Training) Information on change of status or the cap-gap extension (for post-completion OPT) Event history (as a table) Other authorizations (as a table) Travel signatures
In the case of long event histories, Page 2 could spill over to multiple pages.
Page 3 contains instructions.
Structure of I-20 until June 2015
The Form I-20 used until June 2015 has three pages, of which the second page was an instructions page, so that only the first and third pages contained information specific to the student's SEVIS record.
Page 1 contains the following:
SEVIS number
Student's biographical information (name, country of birth, country of citizenship) Information about the school and Designated School Official who needs to be informed upon the student's arrival The student's degree program, reporting date, and program end date. How the student intends to meet his/her first year of expenses. Name and signature of the DSO, along with the date. Name and signature of the student, along with the date.
Page 3 includes the following:
The student's name
Information on any work authorization, including Optional Practical Training and Curricular Practical Training A section for travel signatures. A travel signature at most 1 year old is necessary whenever re-entering the United States
An additional Page 4 may be included for information on the student's dependents, if any.