Tag Archives: How to fill I-20 form

You’ve just gone through the stress of submitting your I-765 application for your OPT or your STEM-OPT EAD (Employment Authorization Document), and after several weeks of waiting for a response from USCIS, you check the status of your case and you see an update that says that you’ve received a “Request For Evidence” (RFE) from USCIS. That is a disappointing or unpleasant situation.

What To Do If You Receive an RFE on F-1 OPT EAD Application

This guide will cover the following things:

• In this guide, we are going to be discussing some of the common reasons why F1 students applying for the OPT or STEM-OPT might receive an RFE from USCIS, what you could do to prevent it, and how to respond to an RFE if you receive one.
• If you’ve received an RFE from USCIS on your OPT or your STEM-OPT application, in this educative guide, you’re going to get some helpful tips that you can follow when responding to your RFE.
• On the other hand, if you’re an advance student who has yet to apply for your OPT, below in this guide, you’re going to get some helpful tips that you can follow to reduce your chances of receiving an RFE.

What is Request for Evidence (RFE) and what does this document look like?

The Request for Evidence (RFE) is a document issued by USCIS whenever USCIS needs some extra information from you in order to process your immigration case.

If you check the status of your case in the USCIS Case Tracking Tool, you will see a status update that says that an RFE has been issued and mailed to you. When you get this letter in the mail, it’s going to have a list of issues that USCIS need you to address in order for the application to be adjudicated.

One of the most important sections of the Request for Evidence (RFE) is the deadline to respond to the RFE, that’s normally contained within the second paragraph on the RFE. You should take a note of this date and ensure that your response to the RFE is received by USCIS before this date is reached.

The main downside of receiving the RFE is that the processing of your OPT or your STEM-OPT application is going to be suspended until USCIS receives your response, and this essentially prolongs the total processing time of your OPT or your STEM-OPT application.

If you’ve got an RFE, you should breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you have a second opportunity to put together a strong application for your OPT or your STEM-OPT application.

Just because you got an RFE does not mean that your initial application is going to be denied. If that were to be the case, USCIS would send you a letter called a “Notice of Intent to Deny”, which is much more difficult to overcome relative to the RFE.

One of the good things about the RFE, if you can say so, is that USCIS would explicitly tell you what documents you need to provide in order for your application to be processed.

And if you can successfully provide the evidence that’s required by USCIS, then you have a higher likelihood of getting your application approved.

Common reasons for receiving a USCIS Request for Evidence (RFE) on the I-765 application for OPT or STEM-OPT

Below are some of the common reasons why F1 students applying for the OPT or the STEM-OPT might receive an RFE from USCIS. Some of these reasons are not particularly obvious.

1. Passport Photo Issues

The first reason why you might receive an OPT RFE on your OPT application or your STEM-OPT application has to do with not meeting the right requirements for your passport photograph.

The passport photograph that’s taken to support your OPT application needs to be a two inch by two inch colored passport photograph, taken against a white background. This photograph must show a clear image of your face and it should not be photo edited by any means.

If you like to see the correct specifications for your passport photograph used to support your OPT application, visit the U.S Department of State website that explicitly specifies the requirements you must meet for your passport photograph to be accepted.

Another common reason for an OPT RFE could happen when you use a passport photograph that you’ve used on a previous immigration case.

For example, an F1 student who has applied for the 24 months DEMO-OPT extension using the same passport photograph on the initial post Completion OPT application might receive an RFE from USCIS because this would imply that the passport photograph does not meet the six month requirements specified by USCIS.

There is an obvious reason why you could prevent receiving an RFE by making sure that your passport photograph meets all the requirements specified by USCIS. It’s highly recommend that when getting a passport for your OPT or your STEM-OPT application, you should consider getting this done professionally or semi-professionally.

2. Missing Documents

The second common reason for the OPT RFE is forgetting to provide supporting documents for your OPT application or your STEM-OPT application, respectively.

For example, an F1 student applying for the STEM-OPT extension will be required to provide supporting documents, such as copies of the previous EAD card that was issued for the post completion OPT.

Failing to provide any of these supporting documents could easily lead to an OPT RFE, thereby delaying the length of time it’s going to take you to obtain your EAD card.

If you’re going to be applying for your post completion OPT, you can check [HERE] to a free downloadable PDF checklist that keeps you on track to provide all the required supporting documents when applying for your post completion OPT.

3. Errors on Form I-20

The third common reason for an OPT RFE is when there are errors on your I-20 endorse for OPT or STEM-OPT by your Designated School Official (DSO). Yes, your designated school official is capable of making mistakes just like anybody else, and that’s why when applying for the OPT, you will need to make sure that you thoroughly review I-20 issued by your DSO, ensuring that there are no inconsistencies.

And if you find any inconsistencies on your I-20, make sure to bring this to the attention of your designated official before submitting a copy of your I-20 as part of your application package.

The thing about requests for evidence issued by USCIS is that they are highly subjective. For example, you can have two applicants applying for the OPT using the exact same documentation, and one applicant receives an RFE while the other applicant does not get an RFE.

So while you might not be able to guarantee with 100% certainty that you’re not going to get an RFE, by following these tips, you can significantly reduce your chances of getting an RFE.

4. Wrong Employer Info

The fourth reason for an OPT RFE commonly occurs when F1 students are applying for the 24 month DEMO-OPT extension. What’s important about the STEM option is that unlike the initial post completion OPT where you don’t provide any information about your employer, in the case of the STEM-OPT, you’re going to be providing detailed information about your employer on the Form I-98320 Plan and also on the Form I-765.

One major mistake advertisers to make when applying for the 24 months DEMO-OPT Extension is using the incorrect name for the employer.

Most employers operate with DBA names, where DBA stands for “Doing Business As” and commonly these names are different from the actual legal name of the employer.

Another mistake here is that when F1 students are applying for the STEM-OPT Extension, they might use an incorrect E-Verify number for the employer. Without the correct name and E-Verify number of your employer, USCIS would be unable to determine if your employer is enrolled in the E-Verify program and would issue a request for evidence.

So to reduce your chances of receiving an OPT RFE for this reason, you should contact the Human Resource Department of your employer and request that they provide you with the correct evaluation E-Verify number and the correct legal name of the employer.

5. OPT Reporting Issues

The fifth common and surprising reason why F1 students might receive an OPT RFE is when there are inconsistencies in your reported employment to the Department of Homeland Security.

If during the course of your STEM-OPT extension, USCIS find inconsistencies in your reported OPT employment, an RFE could be issued on your I-765 application.

When you engage in Optional Practical Training (OPT) you’re required to report any changes in your employment to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Some examples of changes in your employment that you should be reporting are things like when you lose your job or you gain a new job, or when you change from one employer to the other.

If the Student in Action Register Program finds out that there are certain inconsistencies in your employment record, they might issue a request for evidence to make sure that you’ve not violated your status during the course of your OPT.

While the OPT or STEM-OPT RFE is a bummer, it sure does not mean that your application will be rejected. The silver lining here is that you get a 2nd shot to provide a water-tight application to USCIS. Thereby increasing your chances of receiving an approval on your I-765 application.

How to respond to an RFE

The first thing you need to do is to read and understand the reason why the OPT RFE was issued in the first place. And if this doesn’t make sense to you, you should reach out to your school’s designated school official and ask for clarification.

When responding to an RFE, you need to make sure that all the evidence you provide should be included in one single package and mailed to USCIS at the exact same time.

You are also required to submit this original RFE letter alongside the rest of your other supporting documents to USCIS. This original RFE letter should be the first page on the packets that you’re going to be mailing to USCIS.

Before sending this original RFE letter, it’s best to make a copy for your record. Also, when mailing your response to the OPT RFE, you should request a confirmation of delivery from your mailing service provider.

This way, you can track the status of your delivery and guarantee that you have an evidence to show that your OPT RFE response was delivered to USCIS in a timely fashion.

OPT RFE Processing Timeline

You will definitely like to know how long it takes for USCIS to process your response to your OPT RFE.

Usually, USCIS would state in your OPT RFE letter, the length of time that you can expect your OPT application to be processed after they have received your OPT RFE response and if your OPT application is not processed within this time frame, you may contact USCIS and request that they expedite the processing of your OPT application.

I hope you found this information helpful.

DISCLAIMER: This guide and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information presented in this guide should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

In this article, we’re going to learn how to get the form DS-2019 which is given to prospective J1 Nonimmigrants.

What is DS-2019?

The form DS-2019 is a two page document required to support the application for an exchange visitor visa to the U.S. This document is produced by a U.S Department of State designated sponsor.

How Can I Get the DS-2019?

To receive the DS-2019 as a prospective nonimmigrant to the US, you must first find a designated sponsor and then apply and be accepted for sponsorship into an appropriate J1 program category.

Some of the J1 program categories are; professors/research scholars, short-term scholars, trainees, and college/University students.

Similar to the Form I-20 given to F1 and M1 nonimmigrant, the form DS-2019 primary purpose is to apply for a J1 visa and then seek entry into the U.S on this J1 visa.

Can I bring my family to the U.S on a J1 Visa?

J1 non-immigrants who intend to bring a spouse, child or children must obtain a separate DS-2019 form for each dependent, and must meet the requirements set by their designated sponsors to do so.

What Else is the DS-2019 Used For?

Apart from applying for the J1 Visa to enter the U.S, the DS-2019 could be used for the following;

1. Applying for a U.S social security number
2. Applying for a U.S state driver’s license or a state ID card
3. Serving as a proof of work authorization

DS-2019 Sample

From the above DS-2029 sample, describing each block in the two page documents,

• starting with Page One at the top right corner is the Civic ID Number. This number always starts with the letter N.
• Block one of the documents identifies you as the participant in the J1 program.
• Block Two includes the name of your program sponsor and describes the nature of your J1 program to be completed.
• Block Three, which is very important is the start and end date of your program.

J1 visa holders may not arrive to the U.S more than 30 days before the start date. As a non-immigrant under J1 status, you are given a Grace period of 30 days after the program end dates to depart the US.

Note that your program end date and not the expiration of your J1 visa determines how long you’re allowed to stay in the U.S. You can learn more about this difference between your J1 visa and your J1 status [HERE]

• Block Four States your exchange visitor category.

This could be any one of several J1 program categories, such as trainees, College and University students, short term scholars, etc.

• Block Five is a breakdown of the estimated financial support for your J1 program.
• Block Seven also very important is the name and contact information of your program sponsor’s responsible Officer. You may need this information when trying to enter the U.S at the U.S Port of Entry.
• Block Eight is completed by a J1 Responsible officer, whenever a transfer of your J1 program occurs.
• Over on this section to the left describes if you are subject to the two year home residency requirement and would contain the name, signature and date of a U.S Consul officer or immigration officer.
• The travel validation section on the right is also very important. A valid travel signature from your responsible officer will be required to reenter the U.S after a brief departure from the U.S.
• The very last section on page one is the certification section where you would sign and date the form DS-2019.
• You should read and understand the instructions section on page two before signing this form.

The form DS-2019 is a very important immigration document, and you must do your part to keep this safe at all times.

Some questions you may ask

Question: What if I was given an emergency visa appointment by the U.S Consulate later than my program start date? My start date is august 1st and the embassy schedule is august 11? Will this affect my visa approval?

Answer: U.S consular officers understand this situation, and would not penalize you for that, especially in these current times.

Question: What are the requirements in order to acquire one (i.e form DS-2019)??

Answer: You’ll need to find a program that can sponsor you for the J1 visa.

Question: Can I reprint a copy of my DS-2019 if I already filled it?

Answer: You may, the only thing you’re to fill on the DS-2019 is your signature and date.

Question: If you already got your J1 approved, is it possible to change the date on the DS afterwards?

Answer: Yes but only your responsible officer can do so by re-issuing a new Form DS-2019.

Question: If I got an internship in USA, so now who is going the issue this form? The U.S-based company or me in my home country?

Answer: Your program sponsor.

I hope you found this article is quite informative.

DISCLAIMER: This article/post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. I am not a licensed attorney and so the information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.

Have you received your Form I-20 and are wondering what the next steps are? In this guide, you will learn the simple 3 step process to follow after receiving your Form I-20 as a prospective U.S international student. The I-20 form is a certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status.

What to do after receiving form I-20

These steps include reviewing and signing the Form I-20, applying for your F-1 visa and scheduling your visa interview appointment, and paying the SEVIS fee.

Reviewing the Form I-20

You’ve received your form I-20 which could have been delivered electronically or delivered by mail, the first thing you should do is to review the form I-20, pay close attention to the spelling of your first name and your last name and all the biographical information that’s contained on the first page of the I-20.

You would also want to review page three of the I-20 that contains instructions for you, the student who is going to be responsible for signing the Form I-20.

Signing the Form I-20

Once you’ve read and understood everything on page three of the I-20, and when you’ve checked that your information appears correctly on the I-20, you would then sign the I-20 in the Student Attestation section located at the bottom of page number one.

Your signature here on the I-20 should be in black ink, and the date you write on the I-20 should be the date you signed the I-20. For example, if you sign the I-20 on August 1, 2021, then the date you are going to write on the I-20 should be August 1, 2021.

If you happen to be under the age of 18 at the time you’re signing the form, it would also need to provide a signature and a date from your parent or Guardian. Again, this entry from your parent or Guardian on the form I-20 should be printed in black ink.

You should keep in mind that on the Form I-20, the Attestation section appearing in page number one is the one and only place that you’re ever going to write anything in. Once you’ve signed and dated form I-20 on page number one, your job is done.

If you’d like to learn more about the form I-20, you can find the linked below where I take a deep dive explaining what every section of the Form I-20 is.

READ: Understanding the Form I-20 for F1 Visa International Students (The Ultimate I-20 Guide)

Book an appointment for your U.S F1 Visa interview

The second step in this process is to book an appointment for your U.S F1 Visa interview. In order to do this, you would have to go to the U.S Department of State website and find the nearest U.S Embassy or consulate that is currently accepting F1 Visa interview appointment.

It’s possible that when you go to the U.S Department of State website, you may not be able to find any U.S Embassies or consulates that are currently accepting F1 visa interview appointment.

In such a case, you might need to look into making an emergency visa interview appointment with the U.S Embassy and Consulate in your home country. As it is quite possible that the U.S Embassy or consulate in your home country might be offering special treatments for students who are trying to enter the U.S on an F1 visa.

Paying for SEVIS I-901 Fee

Once you’ve been able to secure your U.S Visa appointment, preferably on a date that works best for you, you would want to go ahead and pay the service fee, which is also called the SEVIS I-901 Fee.

You should plan to pay a service fee and have a receipt of payment before you attend your U.S F1 Visa interview.

At the time of making this article, the service fee could be paid in three different options.

• The first way is the most common way, and that is by making an online payment;
• the second method of payment is by Western Union Quick pay;
• the third form of payment is payment in U.S dollars, made using a personal check from a U.S Bank or using a money order.

Note: You must have a complete and accurate Form I-20, which is given to prospective F1 and M1 students. If you’ve received the Form I-20 and it happens to contain an incorrect information, then you must contact your designated school official or your program sponsor.

A very important note about the SEVIS I-901 Fee is that if you have any dependents coming to the U.S on an F2, an M2 or J2 visa, they are not required to pay the service fee. The service fee is only required for prospective immigrants coming to the U.S on an F1, M1 and J1 Visa.

On the first entry, you would want to put in your service ID, which you can find this on the top left corner of your form it. You can also find this on your top left corner of the form DS 2019.

Then you enter your last name and your first name, as it appears on your form I-20 or your form DS-2019.

Finally, you would enter your date of birth with the birth month first, the birthday second, and the birth year last. Once you’re done, you click and submit. And if information is answered correctly, you will be taken to a page that accepts your online payment in the form of a credit card.

Once your payment for your SEVIS Fee is accepted online, a payment confirmation page will be generated. You are required to print out this confirmation page and present this as proof of your SEVIS Fee payment before you attend your F1 Visa interview.

In conclusion

As an F1 students who have received the Form I-20:

• The first step would be to review and sign the Form I 20;
• the second step would be to apply for your F1 Visa and book your F1 Visa interview appointment, and;
• third step would be to pay a service fee and receive a payment confirmation before you attend your F1 Visa interview.

These are the three simple steps that you should follow after you’ve received a form I-20.

The next phase you’re going to be working on is getting ready for your F1 Visa interview.

READ: F1 Student visa Interview Questions and Answers.

I hope this article has been helpful to you.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site/post is for informational purpose only collected from various public domains. You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

In this article you will learn all about the Form I-20 given to F1 visa international Students. We will learn what it is Form I-20 and what it’s used for, how you can get one, what’s contained in the documents and how to fill Form I-20 for F1 Visa International Students.

What it is Form I-20?

In simple terms, the Form I-20 is a three page document given to non-immigrants who intend to study in the United States. The Form I-20 or simply I-20 is an important immigration document given to F1 and M1 visa international students who intend to study in the USA.

This document can only be issued by schools that are certified by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, specifically, the Students in Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Form I-20 is issued to prospective international students who have been admitted into a program of study.

While the majority of non-immigrants who receive the I-20 are on an F1 visa engaging in an academic program of study, the I-20 is also given to non-immigrants who plan to enter the U.S on an M1 visa to pursue non-academic or vocational programs of study.

The ultimate use of the Form I-20 is to apply for an F1 or M1 visa and to seek entry into the U.S on these visa classes.

However, the Form I-20 also serves several other purposes, as will be discussed later in this article.

How exactly do you get the Form I-20?

Getting the Form I-20 is generally a two-step process.

• The first step is getting accepted into a school certified by SEVP, and this school could be a University or College or even a primary or secondary school.
• The second step is providing evidence of financial support as requested by your school’s designated school official (DSO). This proof of financial support must include funds covering tuition fees and living expenses for one academic year of study.

International students who intend to bring their dependents to the US, such as a spouse, a child or children, must also obtain a Form I-20 for each dependent.

Thus, you must also show evidence of financial support covering the living expenses for each dependent as specified by your school’s designated school official. The evidence of financial support you provide to get the form it could be in the form of bank statements showing personal savings or family savings.

It could also be in the form of an award letter offering you a scholarship, a Fellowship, or an assistantship by your University or your school, and could also be a letter of sponsorship from a government, an organization, or a company.

So what else is the form I-20 useful other than the primary purpose of applying for an F1 or M1 visa, and seeking entry into the US on these visa classes? Form I-20 is needed for other purposes, such as:

• applying for a US Social Security number,
• applying for a US state driver’s license,
• applying for a US state identification card,
• changing your immigrant status from the F1 status to another status while in the US, and
• serves as a proof of work authorization.

I-20 form sample and how to fill Form I-20 for F1 Visa International Students

Let now take a close look at each section of the Form I-20.

• At the top left corner of page one is the service ID number. This number always starts with the letter N.

• The first box contains your biographical information, your admission number, and your admission class. This first box also contains the reason for issuing the form. When you first receive an I-20 from your school’s DSO, the form issue reason will be listed as initial attendance, and after you’ve enrolled in your program of study, you would be given a new form I-20 that States continued attendance as the form issue reason.

• The second box on page one is the school information. Here you will find the name of your DSO as mentioned earlier, this person would be your main point of contact when seeking to enter the US. So keep a note of their contact information before traveling to the US.

• The third box on page one contains information about your program of study. Very important to take note of is the program start and end date. You are only allowed to enter the US on an F1 visa within 30 days of your start date. Note that the end of your F1 status does not depend on the expiration date of your F1 visa, but on the end date shown on your current from I-20.

• The fourth box on page one summarizes your financial responsibility. You should have evidence of financial support covering the total amount in this box when applying for an F1 visa and seeking entry into the US on an F1 visa.

• The fifth box is a remarks section where your DSO would make any appropriate comments about your I-20 at any point in the future.

• The six box on page one will have the signature of your DSO certifying that you’ve provided correct information and indeed meet the qualification to attend the school to pursue a full program of study.

• The 7th and last box on page one is for you to sign and date. If you are under the age of 18 this box should also be signed and dated by a parent or legal Guardian accordingly.

• The first and second boxes on page two are relevant to your authorization for off campus employment, such as curriculum practical training (CPT), and optional practical training (OPT).

As an active F1 student, you become eligible to use CPT or OPT after completing one academic year of studies. You may not engage in any kind of work off campus without receiving this work authorization from your DSO.

• The CHANGE OF STATUS/CAP-GAP EXTENSION box is applicable to F1 students changing into another nonimmigrant visa class, such as going from an F1 student visa class to an H1 B worker class.

• AUTHORIZED REDUCED COURSE LOAD: F1 students who wish to take a part time course load would need to obtain permission from the DSO. This approval for a reduced course load would be added to the fourth box on page two.

• Finally is the TRAVEL ENDORSEMENT box, which is yet another important section of the I-20. Once you enroll as an F1 student and receive an I-20 for continued attendance, a valid travel signature from your DSO will be required to re-enter the US after a brief departure from the US.

The third page is Instruction section, which contains very important information for you, the students signing this document and the DSO issue and signing the Form I 20. Make sure to read and understand this page in its entirety.

Your I-20 is an important immigration documents that you will need for several years while in the U.S, so ensure to keep this safe at all times. I hope you found this article quite informative.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site/post is for informational purpose only collected from various public domains (Youtube, Google, etc). You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

I hope this article has been helpful to you, let us know in the comments down below.