Required Documentation for Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 Issuance

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Students must upload an image of their passport biographic (photo) page, ensuring the machine-readable lines at the bottom of the page are visible.

Passports must generally be valid at least six months into the future at all times when in the United States.

OGS estimates cost of attendance only to issue Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and help students prepare financial documentation needed to obtain the U.S. visa. OGS figures do not reflect final costs¹.

F-1 students must demonstrate funding for the first 9-month academic year or for the full program, whichever is shorter.

J-1 students must demonstrate funding for the full program duration, including summers. Degree-seeking J-1 students should email newinternational@georgetown.edu for their program estimate.

Estimates for programs 10 months and shorter cover the full program duration. Summer expenses are not included if the program dates span both a spring and fall semester. Additional funding is required if requesting F-2 or J-2 dependent status for a spouse and/or child(ren).

• Financial documents for F-1 or J-1 eligibility:
  • Must be in English
  • Must be less than 6 months old
  • Must indicate the currency of funds (e.g. CNY, QAR, USD, etc.)

• Students may upload a single source of funding or a combination of multiple sources:
  • Approved loan
  • Georgetown University scholarship letter
    • For financial aid beyond tuition (e.g. PhD stipend), upload image from GU Experience confirming award acceptance.
  • Scholarship letter from outside sponsor, which must:
    • Name student and academic program
    • Identify for which expenses the funds are intended
    • Indicate when funds will be disbursed 
  • Statement of personal checking, savings, or investment account, which must include:
    • Name of bank and account holder
    • Amount of immediately available funds
    • Family Support Letter (PDF) if not in student’s name.

• Not valid for F-1 or J-1 eligibility:
  • Statements from more than four banks
  • Funds from non-family member
  • Evidence of employment and/or income
  • Tax return
  • Property valuation
  • Credit card limit

¹ F-1 and J-1 estimated cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, required health insurance, books, and minimum living expenses. The Office of Student Financial Services provides official accounting of total program costs, including living expense estimates; Revenue and Receivables publishes information on tuition & fees; the Student Health Insurance Office details the Georgetown University Premier Plan.

Students receive an invitation to Canvas in their Georgetown email account the same day they receive the invitation to the International Student and Scholar Portal. Students must open the email from instructure@georgetown.edu (alias: Georgetown Canvas) to accept the course invitation and log into Canvas using their Georgetown NetID and password.

Students must complete all Pre-Arrival Modules and score 100% on the Final Pre-Arrival Quiz. The estimated time necessary to complete this task is two hours. Students must upload proof of completion with their Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 request. To download the Grade Report as a PDF, click ‘Grades’ and then the ‘Print’ icon in the top right corner.

Each module presents information that directly affects F-1 and J-1 students’ immigration status, academic success, and holistic well-being while studying at Georgetown. Students are responsible for understanding this information and should consult their International Student (IS) Advisor with any questions about the content. Students retain access to these modules to use as a fundamental resource for the duration of their academic program.

Exceptions: Executive Master’s and Short-Term Residency students do not complete the Online International Student Orientation.

Note: Accessing Georgetown email and Canvas from outside the United States may require students to use a virtual private network (VPN).

J-1 students must upload one of the following documents to establish English proficiency:

• Minimum TOEFL score: Internet-based: 80; Paper-based: 550
• Minimum IELTS score: 7.0
• Official transcript, school report, or letter (signed and dated) from a higher education institution where English was the language of instruction for all coursework and the student achieved a minimum, cumulative U.S. GPA equivalency of 3.0.

Students who currently hold active F-1 status in the United States must upload the below documents as part of their complete Form I-20 request. The deadline request a transfer Form I-20 is 30 days before Georgetown classes begin, even if the SEVIS record will be transferred later to accommodate final coursework or authorized training.

1. Georgetown Transfer-In Form
   • Students must complete this form, then send it together with their Georgetown admission letter to the Designated School Official (DSO) at their current SEVIS school in order to request the release of their active F-1 record to Georgetown.
   • Transfer release date must be no later than one week before classes begin.
   • Georgetown does not accept transfer-in of completed or terminated records.
   • Georgetown does not support SEVIS transfer for short-term residency programs.
2. I-94 most recent proof of status showing F1 + DS
3. Image of most recent Form I-20 pages 1 and 2
4. Image of most recent F-1 visa photo page from passport (unless Canadian)
5. Students must report their current U.S. physical home address and phone number as their Local Off-Campus address in GU Experience at the time of uploading the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 application. Students who are currently outside of the U.S. must add this information within 10 days of arrival.

*Current J-1 students considering the possibility of SEVIS transfer must email  newinternational@georgetown.edu  for additional guidance. 

Only students who plan to bring a spouse and/or child(ren) with them to the United States in F-2 or J-2 dependent status must upload documents for this requirement.

All dependents require an F-2 Form I-20 or J-2 Form DS-2019 immigration document to obtain the F-2 or J-2 visa and enter the United States in F-2 or J-2 status. To request the dependent immigration document(s), the F-1 or J-1 student must upload:

• Additional proof of funding for one ($10,800), two ($20,100), three ($45,000) dependents
• Dependent Request Form (.doc) (please type responses)
• Image(s) of passport biographic (photo) page(s), ensuring the machine-readable lines at the bottom of the page are visible
• Legal dependent documentation: Only for dependent(s) exempt from the F-2/J-2 visa requirement (e.g. Canadian citizens).
  • Evidence of legal relationship (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate, adoption papers. etc.)

Learn more about the requirements, restrictions, and benefits of dependent immigration status in the online Canvas International Student Orientation and on the OGS F-2 or J-2 website.

If requesting more than three dependents, email newinternational@georgetown.edu for expense estimate.

Only students requesting a Form I-20 for a short DC residency of a program otherwise completed from outside the United States must upload this form:

• MS in Business Analytics
• Executive Masters in Diplomacy and International Affairs
• Executive Masters in Leadership – Qatar
• Executive MBA Dubai
• MA in International Business and Policy
• MBA Flex Online

Students participating in short-term residencies receive a Form I-20 only for the length of each residency. Students must depart the United States after each residency ends. Students receive a separate Form I-20 for each residency and may need to apply for more than one F-1 visa.

F-1 status is granted for the sole purpose of attending the full-time, intensive residency. Completion of online coursework is not permitted while in the United States. Work of any kind – paid/unpaid, in-person/remote/online, for an off-campus U.S. employer, or for a non-U.S. employer – is strictly prohibited while physically present in the United States.