An I-20 Form is the official certificate of eligibility for the F-1 non-immigrant student status. This important document is issued by certified institutions to verify the student has been admitted and meet the requirements to be a student at JMU. The I-20 form is required by the U.S. Embassy for issuance of the F-1 visa and by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for entry into the U.S.

After you pay the deposit to JMU, ISSS will reach out to you to begin the process of issuing your I-20 Form. In that email, you will 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
• 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:
  • Scholarship/funding letters
  • Bank Statements
  • Certificate of Deposits
  • Liquid Investment Accounts
  • Loan Confirmation Letters
• Not Acceptable:
  • Pay stubs
  • Property deeds/titles
  • Salary confirmations