F-1 Students: Request Form I-20

• If you are currently in the United States in F-1 or J-1 status, you must also submit a copy of your current F-1/J-1 visa or change of status approval notice, I-20/DS-2019, I-94, in addition to your passport identification page.
• If you are currently in the United States on a visa other than F-1, you must also submit a copy of your current visa and I-94.
• If dependents (spouse and/or children) will accompany you, you must include a copy of their passport identification page. If your country of citizenship is different from that of your country of legal residence, please submit a copy of the appropriate identification.

Follow the steps in the iStart invitation email sent after you were academically admitted to provide information for ISSS to process your I-20.

What are the estimated costs, and what types of documents are needed?

• Please review the Estimated Cost of Attendance page to find the required funding for your program.

All financial documents must meet the following requirements:

1. Show liquid assets that can be readily converted into cash if needed
2. Show the date of issuance and be less than 6 months old at the time the I-20 or DS-2019 is issued
3. Be written in English, or accompanied by official translation
4. Clearly state the currency of funds

Acceptable Types of Financial Documents

Bank letters/statements	Name of bank account holder Total available/current balance Official letterhead or online statement and include the bank's name, address logo, and heading Bank official's signature or stamp Maturity date must be before the start of the semester if applicable
Loan Letters	Must show student is approved or pre-approved for the loan Must clearly state the total approved/pre-approved amount
Graduate Assistantship Offer Letters, Grants, Scholarships, or Organization Sponsor Letters	Official original letterhead with organization’s contact information Must include student’s full name Must clearly state what the scholarship includes, such as tuition, fees, books, and insurance. If includes a stipend, it must state the dollar amount per month or per year If Georgia State graduate assistantship, must include the estimated value of tuition waiver per semester or per year
Provident Fund Statement	Name of account holder Must clearly state the amount that can be withdrawn before the start date of classes. Just showing a total available balance is not sufficient.
Employment letters or Salary statement	NOT ACCEPTABLE. These types of funds are not considered as liquid assets.
Non-liquid Investments
Credit card statements
Real estate statements
Life insurance statements
Stock market statements
Valuation statements
Tax return documents

Sponsor Funds:

A Sponsor Letter of Commitment (an affidavit) or Sponsor Commitment Form is required for students who are not using a personal bank account in their name. The sponsor’s bank letter/statement is required with this letter/form. The sponsor must include the following information in their letter of support:

1. Student’s full name
2. The relationship between the student and the sponsor
3. The amount and duration of the support
4. The sponsor’s original signature, full name, telephone number and address

Dependents

Students with dependents who will be applying for an F-2 or J-2 visa must provide additional proof of funding for each dependent: $4,500 per year for a spouse and $2,500 per year for each child.

Documents will be electronically uploaded and submitted via iStart. Please note that an original copy of the documents will be needed at the time of the visa interview.

Once financial documents have been approved by ISSS, an I-20 will be processed and sent to your GSU student email. The Form I-20 makes you eligible to apply for the F-1 student visa.

Be Aware: The financial information on your I-20 is only an estimate, not a tuition bill.