After you accept your offer of admission with the Graduate School, ISSS will reach out to you to begin the process for arriving at JMU. We’ll begin with the creation of the I-20 form, which is required for the F-1 student visa process at the U.S. Embassy in your home country. In that email, you may be asked to provide:

• Non-U.S. address and non-U.S. phone number
• A scan of your biographical passport page and any other immigration documents
• Proof of funding to meet expenses while at JMU

Students transferring from another U.S. university or college can find additional instructions here.

ISSS is only permitted to send I-20 Forms to students’ JMU email. Please follow the instructions to set up your JMU Dukes email account to receive your I-20 Form. Please check for additional important information as your Dukes email is the official form of communication from JMU.

When you receive your I-20 Form, please review it carefully and check that the information is accurate. If you have any questions, please contact ISSS. Be sure to print and sign your I-20 Form, as the U.S. Embassy will require a physical, signed copy.

ISSS will continue to issue I-20 Forms to new students regardless of country of citizenship. We recognize that current travel restrictions and visa limitations will prohibit some students from receiving a student visa to enter the U.S.

U.S. federal regulations require that a student must show (1) proof of funding to pay for the first year (12 months) of their program plus living expenses and (2) a plan to fund the remaining years of their program and living expenses to receive an I-20 Form from their school.

Expenses to consider:

• Tuition and fees which vary based on the specific academic program
• International Student Administration Fee: $100 per semester
• Health Insurance Fee: $1,656 per 12 months
• Books and school supplies
• Additional departmental or course fees
• Living expenses

Your documents must be legible and not more than 6 months old at the time of admission and must be in English. Scanned copies are acceptable, but you must bring the original documents when applying for your visa and may need to show them when entering the U.S.

• Acceptable Documents:
  • Graduate Assistantship Confirmation Letter
  • Scholarship/funding letters
    • Example of a Sponsorship Letter
  • Bank Statements
  • Certificate of Deposits
  • Liquid Investment Accounts
  • Loan Confirmation Letters
• Not Acceptable:
  • Pay stubs
  • Property deeds/titles
  • Salary confirmations

Students will also need to submit the Graduate Financial Planning Form to outline a plan for funding their academic program beyond the first year. (MBA students should use this form.)

Graduate Assistantships pay for students' tuition and provide a stipend. For more information about Graduate Assistantships, please visit this Graduate Assistantship webpage.

Dependents are defined as a spouse and/or any children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) of an F-1 visa holder. For dependents who plan to stay in the U.S. for less than 6 months, they may consider applying for a B-2 visitor visa.

If you would like to bring dependents with you for the duration of your studies, they are eligible to apply for an F-2 visa.

• Students who plan to bring dependents will need to provide the following documents to ISSS:
  • A scanned copy of the family member's biographic passport page 
  • A scanned copy of financial documentation that indicates financial ability to support dependents while they are in the U.S. Estimated expenses are:
    • $7,000 for a spouse per year*
    • $5,000 for each child per year*
• The consular officer may require marriage certificate and birth certificates of each child.
  
  • Students should also be prepared to provide documentation at the point of entry when arriving in the U.S.
• Important information about the F-2 Status
  • Spouses in F-2 status may not accept employment under any circumstances.
  • Spouses in F-2 status are permitted to study in: 
    • less than a full course of study that may lead to a degree
    • recreational or hobby courses
  • If the F-2 dependent wishes to pursue fulltime study in a degree-granting program, they must first apply for and obtain a change of status to F-1. F-2 children may engage in full-time study at kindergarten through grade 12 levels. 
  • If the F-1 visa holder plans to be outside the U.S. for an extended period of time, their F-2 dependent(s) cannot remain in the U.S.

*These are estimated expenses for a dependent. Expenses will vary based on individual spending.