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

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Students must submit 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.

Students must demonstrate funding to meet the expenses associated with their stay in the United States. OGS expense estimates do not reflect final costs and serve for immigration purposes only: to issue the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and help prepare the financial documentation needed to obtain the F-1 or J-1 visa.

OGS expense estimates include tuition, fees, health insurance, books, and minimum living expenses. These campus resources help students further understand program costs:

• 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
  • Each academic program may also charge specific fees.
• The Student Health Insurance Office details the Georgetown University Premier Plan.

F-1 and J-1 Eligibility

F-1 students must demonstrate funding for the first 9-month academic year or for the full program duration if shorter.

J-1 students must demonstrate funding for the full program duration, including summers, and must contact their IS Advisor to calculate total estimated expenses for programs longer than 9 months.

Figures in the OGS Estimated Expenses Chart (PDF) cover the next 9-month academic year: the fall semester from August through December and the spring semester from January through May.

• 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):
  • $9,100 per 9-month academic year for the first dependent
  • $5,000 per 9-month academic year for each additional dependent

Documentation Requirements

Students may submit a single source of funding or a combination of multiple sources.

OGS cannot accept:

• Bank documents from more than four (4) different accounts.
• Bank documents from non-family members
• Income & employment letters
• Tax returns
• Pay stubs
• Land & property valuations
• ATM slips or receipts
• Credit card statements
• Seasonal funds (funds only available during certain times of the year)

OGS can accept:

• Georgetown University scholarship letters
• Scholarship letters from outside sponsors 
• Approved loans

• Official bank records for checking, savings, or investment account belonging to the student or the student’s family member(s)
  • Family Support Form (PDF) required for accounts belonging to family member(s)

All Financial Documents:

• Must be in English
• Must be less than six (6) months old
• Must indicate the currency of funds (e.g. CNY, QAR, USD, etc.)
• Must explicitly state the exact amount of immediately available funds

Official Bank Records

• May be obtained from an online banking account or in print from the bank
• Must show the bank’s name and the name of the account holder

Scholarship Letters

• Must be on letterhead or have the sponsor’s seal 
• Must name the student as the recipient
• Must state the student’s academic program
• Must describe for which expenses the funds are intended
• Must indicate when funds will be disbursed

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 submit 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 submit 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.
• Attestation of proficiency (signed and dated) from an English language school (a school that teaches English language to non-native speakers) or an English language instructor (an instructor who teaches English language to non-native speakers).

Students who currently hold active F-1 or J-1* status in the United States must submit the below documents as part of their complete Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 application. The deadline to submit a complete application is no later than 30 days before the mandatory arrival date (PDF) for their program, even if the SEVIS record will be transferred later to accommodate ongoing coursework or authorized training activities.

1. Georgetown Transfer-In Form (PDF)
   • Students must complete Part I on the form
   • Students must give the form and their Georgetown admission letter to the international student advisor at their current institution to request to transfer their SEVIS record to Georgetown. Part II on the form must be completed by the school official.
   • Transfer release date must be no later than one week before the mandatory arrival date (PDF).
   • Georgetown does not accept transfer-in of completed or terminated records.
   • Due to the short length of on-site study, Georgetown does not accept transfer-in for students attending Executive Master’s or Short-Term Residency programs.
2. Most recent I-94 Record showing Class of Admission is “F1” or “J1” and Admit Until Date is “DS”
3. Image of most recent Form I-20 (including Page 2) or Form DS-2019
4. Image of most recent F-1 or J-1 visa stamp
5. Students must report their current U.S. physical home address and phone number as their Local Off-Campus address in MyAccess at the time of submitting the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 application. Students who are currently outside of the United States must submit this information within 10 days of reentry.

*Current J-1 students considering the possibility of SEVIS transfer must email  newinternational@georgetown.edu (new window) 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 submit 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 submit:

• Additional proof of funding described in the Financial Documents section (above).
• 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.

Only students requesting a Form I-20 to attend a short, intensive residency or series of residencies in the United States must complete the F-1 Conditions for Short-Term Study (PDF) form:

• Clinical Quality, Safety, and Leadership, Executive Masters (EMCQSL)
• Diplomacy and International Affairs, Executive Masters (EMDIAF)
• Emergency and Disaster Management, Executive Masters of Professional Studies (EMEDM)
• Emergency and Disaster Management, International Executive Masters of Professional Studies (IEMEDM)
• Health Systems Administration, Masters (MS-HESY)
• International Business and Policy, Masters (MA-IBP)
• Leadership – Qatar, Executive Masters (EML-Q)
• Policy Leadership, Executive Masters (EMPL)

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.