The information contained in this section may help answer your questions about your I-20.

Definition of an International Student Requiring an I-20

You are an international student requiring an I-20 if you:

• Are currently studying in the United States on a student visa (F-1) in high school, college, or an English language program; or
• Intend to enter the United States with a student visa

The I-20 is a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status for those who wish to study in the U.S. The I-20 form must be taken to the American embassy or consulate when you apply for a visa.

It is imperative that you submit all required documentation for I-20 issuance. You will experience a delay in receiving your I-20 if all documents are not received in a timely manner. IMPORTANT: Apply for admission by the priority date in order to ensure that you will receive your I-20 in time to enroll. If all required information is not received, your admission may be cancelled. If you are applying or reapplying, you must send updated financial documents dated no earlier than nine months prior to the start of the semester for which you are applying or reapplying.

You will be issued an I-20 after you have:

• Been admitted
  • Prospective students should read details included in our application information about the documentation they must provide in order for Rutgers University to issue an I-20.
• Accepted our offer of admission
  • In the admissions notification packet is an Admission Acknowledgment Form that you must submit to indicate your intention to enroll at the university. Or you may indicate your intention to enroll online at Your Rutgers Status. When undergraduate admissions receives the acknowledgment form or online submission with the appropriate area checked (indicating that you need an I-20), an I-20 will be issued.
• Supplied all necessary financial documentation to the admissions office
  • You and your sponsor must complete and return to us the International Student Financial Statement (ISFS). This form gives us information about you and your sponsor and the sponsor's willingness to be responsible for your educational and living expenses. We do not accept substitutes or any other form. No financial aid is available for F-1 or J-1 visa holders. The ISFS should be submitted at the time of application or shortly thereafter.
  • Your sponsor must submit an original letter from his or her financial institution stating the amount of funds available in the account(s) that will be used to sponsor you. Funds must be documented in U.S. dollars. A letter stating that an account is available without the amount listed will cause a delay in completing your application for admission. If your sponsor prefers, an original letter from a U.S. employer stating the position and salary held by the sponsor is an acceptable form of financial documentation. These forms of documentation must be submitted at the time of application or shortly thereafter.

If you are currently at a U.S. high school or wish to transfer to Rutgers from another college in the U.S.:

• You are required by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to notify your foreign student advisor of your departure.
• Your advisor will complete and return the International Student Advisor's report. This form will give Rutgers University your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) release date. This is the date given whereby Rutgers University will have permission to issue you a new I-20. See your current International Student Advisor for further explanation and details.
• Prior to registering for classes at Rutgers, admitted international students must report to the following office on their regional campus:
  
  
  • New Brunswick/Piscataway
    
    Center for nternational Faculty and Student Services
    Rutgers University
    180 College Avenue
    New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8537
    (732)932-7015
    
    
  • Camden
    
    Office of International Student Services
    Rutgers University
    311 N. Fifth St.
    Camden, New Jersey 08102
    (609)225-6043
    
    
  • Newark
    
    Office of International Student Services
    Rutgers University
    Smith Hall, Room 235
    Newark, NJ 70102-1811
    (973)353-1427
• You and your current foreign student advisor must complete and return the International Student Advisor's Report (ISAR). This form enables us to help you transfer to Rutgers.
• You also will need to submit a copy of all previous I-20s you have been issued and a copy of your I-94.
  

I-20 Checklist

To help you ensure that you have done everything necessary for the issuance of your I-20, please complete the I-20 checklist.

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International Student Advisor's Report

If you are an international student currently studying at a university in the U.S. and applying for transfer admission to Rutgers, you must:

• Notify your foreign student advisor that you are transferring (required by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service).
• Submit the International Student Advisor's Report (ISAR), which includes your SEVIS release date.
• Prior to registering for classes at Rutgers, admitted international students should report to the following office on their regional campus:
  
  
  • Camden
    
    Office of International Student Services
    Rutgers University
    311 N. Fifth St.
    Camden, New Jersey 08102
    (609)225-6043
    
    
  • Newark
    
    Office of International Student Services
    Rutgers University
    Smith Hall, Room 235
    Newark, NJ 70102-1811
    (973)353-1427
    
    
  • New Brunswick/Piscataway
    
    Center for International Faculty and Student Services
    Rutgers University
    180 College Avenue
    New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8537
    (732)932-7015