Immigration Request Processing Times
OGS’ International Student Services team supports over 1,300 incoming students, over 2,400 current students, and over 1,100 alumni. Our office processes immigration requests received to our main internationalservices@georgetown.edu account and individual advisors. Immigration requests are processed in the order received.
Determining Processing Times
Status of Pending Immigration Request
Incoming Students Processing Times
Current Students (F-1) Processing Times
Alumni (F-1 OPT/STEM OPT) Processing Times
J-1 Students Processing Times
Expedited Requests
Determining Processing Times
Processing times may vary as they are updated when needed based on the volume of requests and the time of year. The processing time starts when our office receives a complete and accurate form or request.
Please find current estimated processing times measured in business days for ISS immigration requests below. Please note the 1st business day is the first full day immediately following the email receipt of your request for an immigration benefit (e.g. OPT recommendation, travel signature). Business days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. University holidays are not considered business days. Occasionally the office will be closed for staff professional development and special events (e.g. new student orientation) and this may affect processing times.
Upcoming OGS office closures:
- Monday, October 13, 2025 – Mid Semester Holiday
Georgetown University’s Holiday and Winter Closing Schedule
Examples: Counting 7 business days
- Immigration request sent October 1, 2024 – Day 0
- October 2, 2024 – Day 1
- October 12, 2024 – Day 7
- Immigration request sent February 10, 2025– Day 0
- February 11, 2025 – Day 1
- February 17, 2025 – President’s Day Holiday
- February 20, 2025 – Day 7
Status of Pending Immigration Request
Our mission is to ensure that all students receive timely immigration information and excellent service. Our advisors review and process hundreds of immigration requests and respond to hundreds of emails each semester. We appreciate your patience in waiting for your immigration requests to be completed and your immigration questions addressed.
If you find that your immigration request is outside of processing times, you can report this to our office by emailing internationalservices@georgetown.edu (current students and alumni) or newinternational@georgetown.edu (incoming/new students). Please remember to utilize the Determining Processing Times information above to identify your immigration requests processing time window.
Incoming Students Immigration Requests Processing Times
| Immigration Request | Est. Processing Time in Business Days | Where to Send Request |
|---|---|---|
| New DS-2019 | 15 | ISS Portal |
| New I-20 Request | 15 | ISS Portal |
| Add Dependent (after initial I-20/DS-2019 issued) | 10 | newinternational@georgetown.edu |
| Update I-20 | 10 | newinternational@georgetown.edu |
Current Students Immigration Requests (F-1) Processing Times
Alumni Immigration Requests (F-1 OPT/STEM OPT) Processing Times
F-1 OPT
| Immigration Request | Est. Processing Times in Business Days | Where to Send Request |
|---|---|---|
| Cap-Gap Form I-20 Request | 10 | International Student Advisor |
| Report EARLY Completion of OPT | 7 | International Student Advisor |
| SEVP Portal Access Request | 7 | International Student Advisor |
| SEVP Portal Employment Update Request | 7 | International Student Advisor |
| Transfer Out Request | 10 | internationalservices@georgetown.edu |
| Travel Signature Request | 10 | Travel signature request Google form |
F-1 STEM OPT
J-1 Students Immigration Requests Processing Times
| Immigration Request | Est. Processing Time in Business Days | Where to Send Request |
|---|---|---|
| On-Campus Employment Authorization | 5 | International Student Advisor |
| Academic Training (AT) Authorization | 10 | International Student Advisor |
| Add Dependent(s) Request | 10 | International Student Advisor |
| Form DS-2019 Extension Request (Request Form PDF) | 10 | International Student Advisor |
| J-1 Transfer Out Request | 7 | International Student Advisor |
| J-1 Travel Signature Request | 7 | International Student Advisor |
Expedited Immigration Requests
International Student Services does not accept requests to expedite. To ensure equitable support for all students, we process requests in the order received. We acknowledge that some requests are more urgent. ISS prioritizes requests which can impact F-1 and J-1 immigration status such as program extensions (and DHS mandated deadlines such as STEM OPT validation reports).