How To Obtain Your I-20/DS-2019
If you have been accepted to a graduate program at the George Washington University School of Business, and require either an F-1 or J-1 visa to study in the United States, the Office of Global & Experiential Education (G&EE) will work with you and the GW International Services Office (ISO) to issue either an I-20 (for students seeking an F-1 visa) or DS-2019 (for students seeking a J-1 visa), which you will use to apply for your student visa.
Please note: we will not process any documents until you have already been accepted into a degree program and have paid your deposit.
Deadlines
Below are the current deadlines for all international graduate students to submit the necessary documents to obtain an I-20 or DS-2019 from the GW School of Business.
- Spring 2025
- Initial international students outside the U.S. or Change of Level students: Monday, November 25, 2024
- SEVIS Transfer Students: Monday, December 9, 2024
Please note: Students who submit documents past the deadline will not be issued an I-20 or DS-2019 for the semester. If you miss the deadline, you may contact your degree program office to request deferral to the following semester.
Required Documents
In order to apply for an I-20 or DS-2019, you will need to submit the following documents (PDFs preferred) to the Office of Global & Experiential Education (G&EE) at [email protected]. Click on each icon below for more details.
Visa Request Form
All international students must correctly complete the Visa Request Form (VRF) in order to obtain an I-20/DS-2019.
- Instructions
The Visa Request Form provides important information about your immigration status and funding sources.
To complete your Visa Request Form correctly, make sure you:
- Submit the most up-to-date version of the form (for example, the 2024-2025 form is valid for Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025). Older versions of this form will not be accepted.
- Use an address outside of the U.S.
- Enter the correct semester, school, and program in which you are enrolling
- In the Source of Funds section on page 2 of the form, make sure you indicate the funds required for your program.
- Be advised that the cost of graduate programs at the GW School of Business vary from the estimated program costs listed on Page 1 of the Visa Request Form. Therefore, when providing your financial documents, ensure that your funds correspond to the estimated cost of the program in which you are enrolled using the Spring 2025 Academic & Living Costs document.
- Be sure to sign and date the document. If you have a family or individual sponsor, they will also need to provide their information and their signature along with their Financial Support Documents.
View an example of a completed VRF form for guidance.
All documents should be submitted (PDFs preferred) to [email protected].
Financial Support Documents
To receive an I-20 or DS-2019, all F-1 and J-1 students are required to prove that they can financially support themselves during their studies in the U.S. due to DHS regulations. We ask that students do this by demonstrating funding equal to or greater than the estimated cost of attending GW, as detailed on the Visa Request Form.
- Instructions
Students may show a combination of funding types, including scholarships, personal funding, and sponsored funding. All intended funding must be listed on the Source of Funds chart on Page 2 of the Visa Request Form.
Please note that I-20/DS-2019 funding must be liquid assets, meaning that funds can be withdrawn in cash immediately, without delay (for example, funds in checking, current, or savings accounts). Funding in investments, mutual funds, stocks, etc. will not be accepted for I-20/DS-2019 issuance. Additionally, we cannot accept bank accounts which list an expiration or maturity date that is in the future, as we cannot confirm the current, liquid, account balance.
Financial documents must meet the following criteria:
- Be on official letterhead
- Be in English; if documents are not in English you must include an official English translation
- State the account holder's name
- List the account type
- Clearly indicate the account balance and currency of the funds
- Have an issue date that is no more than 12 months from the date of review by the ISO
Self-Support or Personal Funds
If you are using personal funds as your sole source of financial support, you must have sufficient funding for the entire length of your GWSB program. If you do not have sufficient personal funding to cover the full duration of your program, you must secure funding from an additional source (sponsor, loan, scholarship, etc.) for the remaining amount.
Family or Individual Sponsor
If at least part of your funding is provided by a family member, friend, or other individual sponsor, you must provide a bank letter or bank statement in your sponsor's name that meets the above-listed criteria for Financial Documents. Your sponsor must also fill-in and sign the "Official Certification by Family or Individual Sponsor" section at the bottom of Page 2 of the Visa Request Form. If you have multiple sponsors, each sponsor must complete and sign this section - you can attach additional copies of Page 2 to your Visa Request Form as needed.
If you have an individual sponsor, you must have sufficient funding for at least the first year of your GWSB program. Please note that although you are not required to provide proof of funding for the full duration of your program, you are still required to list the required funding for the full duration of your program, along with your expected funding sources, on the Visa Request Form.
Government or Agency Sponsor
If you are using funds or scholarships approved and granted by another university, an international organization, a government agency, a foundation, or an employer, you must provide an official sponsorship approval letter for each source that shows:
- Your name
- The name of the school you will be attending (The George Washington University or The George Washington University School of Business) and your degree program
- The start and end dates of your sponsorship
- Please note: for I-20/DS-2019 issuance, your sponsorship must be valid for at least the first 12 months of your GWSB program.
- The exact amount of funding provided by the sponsorship
- If your scholarship will cover all of your academic expenses, we will also accept a statement in the letter indicating that your scholarship will cover all tuition costs and fees, living costs, books and supplies, and health insurance. If you have any dependents and your sponsor will be covering all associated dependent expenses, the letter must also state that the sponsorship covers all dependent living expenses and health insurance costs.
Funding from GW
If you will receive funding from the George Washington University (for example, a tuition award, fellowship, athletic scholarship, etc.), you must provide a letter from GW that states:
- Your name
- Relevant information about your award, including the amount covered, the duration, and any specific conditions
- The period of time for which the funding is guaranteed, or a statement that the funding is renewable annually for a specific number of years.
If your GW-awarded funding is sufficient to cover all of the expenses for the duration of your program, you will not be required to submit additional proof of funding. If the funding package is less than the full amount, you must have your own funding or funding from another sponsor to cover the difference.
Please note: if you will receive a GWSB tuition fellowship award, please contact the Office of Global & Experiential Education at [email protected] for the exact award amount to list on your Visa Request Form.
Loans
Students may submit loans in their own name (which is considered Self-Funding) or in a family member or friend's name (which is considered Family/Individual Sponsor funding). Note that loans with a co-applicant are considered Family/Individual Sponsor funding for I-20/DS-2019 issuance purposes.
If you will use loan funding for your I-20 or DS-2019, all submitted loan documents must show the following:
- Be on official letterhead of the lending organization
- State the student or borrower's name
- Be fully approved before submission
- Show exact amount and currency of loan
- Be in English or include an official English translation
- Be dated within 12 months of the start of the program
Please note that loans must be fully sanctioned and approved to be used for I-20/DS-2019 issuance. Loans that are conditionally approved or that contain conditional language will not be accepted.
Passport
International students must submit a copy or scan of the biographic page of their passport.
- Instructions
The passport scan or copy must be:
- Legible, and must show the entirety of the biographic page (nothing can be cut off including the machine readable zone at the bottom)
- Valid for six months past the start date of the program (this is required for entry into the U.S.)
All documents should be submitted (PDFs preferred) to [email protected].
SEVIS Transfer
- Instructions
Students who wish to transfer their SEVIS record to GW from a different U.S. institution must submit the following additional documents:
- Copy of an email from an International Student Advisor at your current institution confirming:
- That you have been maintaining your F-1/J-1 status at the institution.
- The SEVIS release date your institution entered into SEVIS to transfer your record to GW. Please note that GW's school code is WAS214F00020000; your current institution will need this information to transfer your SEVIS record to GW.
- Copy of all pages of current I-20/DS-2019
- Copy of most-updated I-94
- Copy of your current F-1/J-1 visa
- If you are on OPT, please submit a copy of the front and back of your EAD card (or EAD cards, if you are on STEM OPT). If your OPT extends past your SEVIS release date or past the start of your program, you must submit a letter stating a date prior to the start of your program that you forfeit your OPT.
Please note: If you are currently enrolled in F-1 or J-1 status at GW and are switching to a GWSB program, you must submit all of the above documents except for the email from an international student advisor at your current institution.
All documents should be submitted (PDFs preferred) to [email protected].
- Copy of an email from an International Student Advisor at your current institution confirming:
Dependents
The Dependent Information Form is for international students who wish to have dependents, spouse and/or children, accompany them while they are at GWSB.
- Instructions
The Dependent Information Form is for international students who wish to have dependents (their spouse and/or children) accompany them while they are at GWSB. Students who wish to receive I-20s/DS-2019s for their dependents must submit the following:
- Completed Dependent Information Form
- Copies of each dependent's passport. Make sure the copies are clear and visible in their entirety (no part is cut off).
- The VRF and Supporting Financial Documents will have to show increased funding for dependents. The additional funding for each year of the student's program is $11,228 USD for a spouse and $5,610 USD for each child.
If you are transferring your SEVIS record to GW and have dependents who are transferring with you, please submit these additional documents:
- Copy of dependents' current I-20s/DS-2019s
- Copy of dependents' most-updated I-94s
- Copy of dependents' current F-2/J-2 visas
All documents should be submitted (PDFs preferred) to [email protected].
Next Steps
After your I-20/DS-2019 materials have been received and approved by the Office of Global & Experiential Education (G&EE), G&EE staff will create a file that is sent to GW's International Services Office (ISO), who will process your documents and issue your I-20 or DS-2019.
Once approved by the ISO, your I-20 or DS-2019 will be issued and emailed to you directly; the ISO's standard processing time for I-20/DS-2019 issuance is ten (10) business days after receiving the file from G&EE. Note that your I-20/DS-2019 might be sent to your GW email address, so make sure you have access to your GW email account and are checking it regularly. Information about accessing your GW account as a new user can be found on the GW IT website; for assistance with this, please contact the GW IT team directly at [email protected].
Resources
- Video #1: Student Visas & Form I-20
This video is for ALL international students who will attend GWSB and require a form I-20. The video will show you how to properly complete the forms, and how to submit them to GWSB.
- Video #2: Transferring a SEVIS Record
This video is for international students currently in the United States with an active SEVIS record and plan to transfer their SEVIS record to GWSB.
- Video #3: Bringing Dependents on an F-2 Visa
This video is for international students who wish to bring dependents with them on an F-2 visa. Dependents are defined as a spouse or child.
- The International Services Office (ISO)
The ISO is the university’s student immigration and international student support center. If you have any questions regarding student immigration issues, please refer to their website and contact them directly.
- The Graduate Enrollment Management Office
The Graduate Enrollment Management Office has information for prospective graduate students at GWU, including information regarding international student admissions requirements and funding. Please refer to their website for all information regarding international student funding that is not part of your admissions package.
- Education USA
Education USA is a network supported by the U.S. Department of State with advising centers around the world that provides international students with valuable knowledge on applying to U.S. colleges and universities.
- Study in the States
Study in the States is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website that helps explain the visa process and informs about rules and regulations of student visas.
- 10 Points to Remember When Applying for a Student Visa
The National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA) created this article which may be helpful to review when preparing for visa interviews.