How to get an I-20 from UCLA

The I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility), which you need to get an F-1 Student Visa, will be issued by the Undergraduate Admissions office. The I-20 cannot be issued until verification of preliminary academic records and proof of adequate funds is complete.

To receive your I-20, you must take the following steps:

• Send us the these three required documents as soon as possible, but no later than
  June 15, 2008.
  
  

  1.	a completed Confidential Financial Statement (CFS) Print the following document, read all instructions carefully, and complete the form. Download the CFS and instructions    - get Adobe Acrobat Reader
  2.	a copy of the name/picture page of your passport; the name on your records at UCLA must match the name on your passport.
  3.	official, current transcripts from all schools attended* (even though you may still have course work in progress). *In some instances we may accept an unofficial transcript for the purpose of processing your I-20. But even if we accept unofficial or incomplete transcripts for this purpose, we must receive official, complete transcripts with your final grades by the deadline specified in your provisional admission contract. Please refer to MyUCLA for information on which transcripts we need from you.
  Please send all these required documents to UCLA Undergraduate Admissions at the following address: International Admissions Advisor, Attn: I-20 UCLA Undergraduate Admissions & Relations with Schools 1147 Murphy Hall, Box 951436 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1436 USA

• Have required test scores sent to UCLA from the testing agencies (if you have not already done so):
  
  
  • Language proficiency tests: IELTS or TOEFL
  • For freshmen, ACTs and/or SATs
• If you currently attend another school in the U.S., you must notify your school’s international student office about your impending enrollment at UCLA. They must release your SEVIS record to UCLA before we can issue an I-20. Have the appropriate official at your current school complete this form to release your record.
  
  
  • download DCISS SEVIS record release form
• For some students, various completion certificates, such as GCSE or GCE A-Level Certificates, may also be required. If we require these documents from you, it will either be noted on your Provisional Admission Contract or we will contact you directly to request them when we review your documents.

We will begin issuing I-20s on a rolling basis after July 1, 2008.

Once you have received your I-20 from the admissions office, further questions about obtaining your F-1 Student Visa, registering your transfer (if you are currently in a U.S. school) with the USCIS, or about USCIS regulations should be directed to the F-1 visa counselors at the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars (DCISS):

• (310) 825-1681
• intl@saonet.ucla.edu

Getting your F-1 Visa Stamp to Enter the U.S.

When you receive your I-20, if you are outside the United States and do not have an F-1 visa stamp in your passport OR the F-1 visa stamp in your passport has expired, you must:

• take the following documents to a U.S. Consulate to obtain an F-1 visa stamp.
  
  • UCLA I-20
  • letter of admission
  • valid passport
  • transcripts and I-20s from any U.S. schools previously attended
  • financial documents (the ones referenced in your Confidential Financial Statement)
• after the U.S. consulate has issued the F-1 visa stamp, enter the U.S. with your UCLA I-20

Note: If you are a transfer student and already have an F-1 visa stamp in your passport that has not yet expired, you can continue to use it for travel abroad with your UCLA I-20.  Travel to Canada, Mexico or certain Caribbean countries is also allowed for 30-days or less with an expired F-1 visa (this policy is called "Automatic Revalidation").  Please contact the Dashew Center for more details at (310) 825-1681.

New Student Guide - International Bruins