Form I-20 Information
What Is a Form I-20 and Why Do You Need One?
The Form I-20 is a U.S. government form, but it can be issued only by specially-appointed school officials. It is not issued by the government; it is issued to the government by the school. It states that the student whose name is on the form has been accepted for a full course of study after applying to the school and submitting all required academic documentation. It also states that the school has seen documents proving that you have enough money to live and study in the U.S., without working with "no permission" or suffering from poverty. Without an I-20, it is not possible to obtain a student visa or keep lawful F-1 status when transferring from one school to another in the U.S. Transfer students do not have to receive our I-20 before coming to this school and attending classes. Though it is best to qualify for the I-20 as soon as possible, you will not need the form until the second week of classes, unless you wish to travel outside the U.S. before classes begin.
Application for Form I-20 - New Student (download and print pdf document)
Students who are outside the U.S. should not worry about their visas at this time. Since you cannot get a visa without the I-20, your priority must be to provide us with the financial documentation we require before we will issue the form.
We are very strict about proof of financial ability. Too little money causes pain and distress for students. We insist that students and their families look closely at the cost of living and studying in the U.S. and make careful plans to be sure the student's needs are met. We also want to be sure that the requirements of the most demanding U.S. consuls are met so our students' visas will not be denied for financial reasons.
Does Everyone Need an I-20?
No, some foreign students do not need I-20's. If you are a dependent spouse or child in A, E, F-2, G, H-4, I, J-2, L-2, M-2, N, O-3, P-4 or TD status, neither the law nor the school requires you to have an I-20 or be in F-1 status to attend school full-time or part-time, as long as the principal continues in status. However, you cannot be a dependent child in E, F, H, I J, L, M,N, O, P, R, or S status after your 21st birthday or if you marry. Principals in A, E, G, H, I, L, O, P, Q, R, or S status may attend school without changing their status as long as their "principal activity" is not school. Persons in TPS status also may go to school. If you have no legal status, you may attend school, but you are not eligible to change status and do not need a Form I-20.
Getting Your I-20
Following are the 12 rules for issuance of a Form I-20 by Spoon River College. Read and follow them very carefully. If we say "no" to the papers you send, do not despair. Many students must submit papers two, three, or more times before giving us acceptable papers. Follow the rules carefuly.
12 Rules to Follow to Get an 1-20
We will not discuss financial documents with sponsors or students. Papers must be submitted by mail or delivered and our responses will be in writing, by mail. Our decision will be made after looking at the documents with care and thought. All students are treated the same, whether they come from countries in which visas are "easy" or difficult to get. To the best of our ability, we try to see the documents as if we were particularly tough U.S. consuls. We have not helped a student by saying "yes" to financial papers if a consul later says "no" to the same papers. We have not supported the educational mission of our institution if we help a student come to the U.S. and fail because of insufficient money for tuition, books, or medical care, or to earn poor grades due to money worries or insufficient food.
Your sponsor's income is more important than your sponsor's bank statement. Do not expect bank statements to convince us of a sponsor's ability to give the amount of money promised. Bank statements are very poor evidence of the ability to give a student money, unless the balance is a very large one. Proof of a sponsor's income should be on the employer's letterhead, on income tax returns or receipts, or estimated by a bank or private accountant when the sponsor is a self-employed businessperson. The income of a company is not the income of the owner of the business and will not be accepted as proof of income. You must provide an official statement of the salary paid to the owner/sponsor.
We will not accept letters from banks or anyone else saying that a sponsor has enough money to support a student. Only this office can decide how much is enough. When a sponsor wishes to keep his bank balance or income private, we will accept official documents saying that the savings or income is "more than" an amount that is clearly sufficient.
All papers must be sent together. When partial documentation is received, it is returned to you. Families should designate one family member to collect all papers and submit them to us together.
Each sponsor must submit an affidavit stating exactly what is to be provided - Affidavit of Sponsor Providing Free Room and Board for International Students (download and print PDF document). All questions on affidavit forms must be answered. Affadavits must be signed by the sponsor in the presence of a Notary Public. The Notary Public must sign it and place their official seal on the affadavit. Affidavits that have been changed in any way will be rejected unless each change has been signed by both the sponsor and the Notary. There are Notary Publics at all U.S. embassies and consulates. In the U.S., most neighborhood pharmacists are Notaries, as are most lawyers and accountants. There are Notaries in all countries, though the names for them may be different. They are officials licensed by the national or regional government to take sworn statements for courts of law or to witness contracts and property deeds.
Sponsors should not promise too much money. Some sponsors believe that, the more money they promise, the more likely we are to say "yes". A common cause for rejection of documents is that we do not believe the sponsor can afford to give as much as promised. You should promise only what you intend to give and should give only as much as you can afford.
Do not submit old documents. Both the U.S. government and Spoon River College require recent documents (less than six months old).
Do not send faxes or copies. Except tax documents, leases, and deeds, all papers must be originals. Copies are rejected and returned. Originals will be attached to I-20's issued for visa applications and returned to students who are outside the U.S.
Every dollar of needed support must be proven through student bank statements, proof of the sponsor's income, or a lease or deed. Each dollar not provided by the student personally, must be promised in an affidavit by a sponsor. We do not care how many sponsors there are, whether or not they are U.S. citizens, or where they live. It is usually easier to get an F-1 visa when at least part of a student's support comes from outside the U.S.
Students can sponsor themselves either partly or in full. No affidavits are needed for the student's own money. Recent bank statements in the student's name must be provided, and statements from at least a year earlier to show us that the money was not borrowed and recently deposited. Remember, however, that the law requires financial support for your entire program in addition to readily available cash for the first year. Unless you have enough cash to support yourself and your studies in the U.S. for your entire program, your cash will soon be used up. You will probably need a sponsor with an income to show that you can finance the entire educational program.
Scholarships may be used to qualify for Form I-20. We must have an award letter from the private or government scholarship board stating how much money is to be given and for how many years.
Free room and board is worth the dollar amount in the student budget. When a family member near the school gives a student a free place to live and/or free meals,the student needs far less in cash from other sponsors. Affadavits of free room and board must be sent with a copy of the property deed or rental lease. Such affidavits will not be accepted if the place to live is too small or too far from school.
Three documents are on-line for your use in proving adequate finances:
the Application for Form I-20 - New Student (download and print pdf document), which all students must complete
the Affidavit of Sponsor (download and print pdf document), for sponsors offering cash support
the Affidavit of Free Room and Board (download and print pdf document). You may photocopy the Affidavit of Sponsor if you will have more than one sponsor offering cash.
Before You Begin, Please Study the Estimate of Annual Expenses on the International Student Budget.
