  {"id":2922,"date":"2022-10-03T12:42:37","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T16:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/?page_id=2922"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:17:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:17:05","slug":"how-to-apply-for-a-form-i-20","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/how-to-apply-for-a-form-i-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Applying for the I-20 and F-1 Student Visa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students who plan to attend 精品成人福利在线 University on an F-1 visa must provide the necessary financial documentation as soon as possible so we can issue the appropriate immigration forms for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Please review our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/estimated-i-20-expenses\/\">Estimated I-20 Expenses<\/a> page for more information about the estimated cost of attendance for your program of study. The amount listed on this page for your program is the amount that you must show in funding in order to to be issued an I-20.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Important Documents:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2025\/08\/2025-26-Montclair-State-University-I-20-Application-Affidavit.pdf\">Application for I-20 and Affidavit of Support<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2023\/08\/Affidavit-of-Free-Room-and-Board-PDF.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Affidavit of Free Room and Board <\/a>&#8211; ONLY for students who will be living for free off campus with a family member\/friend<\/p>\n<p>Please watch our short video that will walk you through the I-20 application and how to complete it properly: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QJuDsG_spAw\">Completing the I-20 Application.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For any questions pertaining to the I-20 application process, please contact <a href=\"mailto:I-20@montclair.edu\">I-20@montclair.edu<\/a>. We do not accept documents sent via email, please upload all of your documents to your admissions portal.<\/p>\n<p>Upon submission of all required documents, please allow 5-10 business days for your I-20 to be processed. Once available, you will receive an email with further instructions. For more information about your Form I-20: <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/current-students\/f-1-students\/understanding-your-i-20\" target=\"_blank\">How to Understand Your Form I-20.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Sources of Funding Policy<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Your funding will always match the cost of attendance.<\/strong> For example, if your yearly cost of attendance is $50,000 USD, your funding will also be listed as $50,000 USD, even if your sponsor is promising more than that. The Department of Homeland Security regulations state that a student only has to show proof of funding for the length of a single academic year. If you have multiple sponsors, the total amount that each sponsor is promising must EQUAL your total cost of attendance. Any excess funding will not be listed on the I-20.<\/p>\n<p>Student\u2019s must secure their funding before they can apply for the Form I-20. <strong>Once issued, we will not make changes to the funding section of the I-20.<\/strong> This includes but is not limited to, adding personal funds, increasing the amount of funding a current sponsor is promising, or adding an additional sponsor when the current sponsor\u2019s funding is sufficient.<\/p>\n<p>We will only issue updated I-20s for one of the following reasons:<br \/>\n\u25cf Errors in the personal information section (incorrect spelling, mistakes in date of birth, etc.)<br \/>\n\u25cf Scholarship or Graduate Assistantships approved after initial I-20 has been issued<\/p>\n<p><strong>We will not update the funding section because of visa denial.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you are receiving a student loan, we will list the amount under \u201cother funding\u201d as \u201cEducation Loan.\u201d We do not list student loans as personal funds. If you are planning to use your own funds or familial\/sponsor funds in addition to your student loan, you must submit all of this documentation when you initially apply for the I-20. All sponsors are listed by name and relation. We do not list funding under a blanket &#8220;family funds.&#8221; Again, we will not update the funding section of the I-20 once it has been issued.<\/p>\n<p>Incoming students CANNOT be sponsored by a current F-1 student from Montclair. We also do not accept affidavits of free room and board that are completed by other F-1 students.<\/p>\n<p>If you are planning to bring a dependent, you must include their information on your I-20 application, along with their passport information and any necessary funding information. We will not add dependents once the initial I-20 has been issued so please plan for your dependents accordingly.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Deadline for I-20 Application Submission<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students outside the U.S. should submit the I-20 application and financial documentation as soon as possible. The deadline for submission of the application and all supporting documents is:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Fall semester: <\/strong>June 15<br \/>\n<strong>Spring semester: <\/strong>December 15<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> SEVIS transfer students inside the U.S. may submit this documentation later than the published deadlines.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Required Documents and Where to Submit Them<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You must complete and submit the ENTIRE Application for Form I-20 and the Affidavit of Support. We cannot issue any official documents until we have received the entire signed I-20 application and affidavit. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The affidavit must be signed by BOTH the sponsor and the student.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">DO NOT HANDWRITE &#8211; Only the signatures can be handwritten (note: an electronic signature can be used in lieu of a \u201cwet\u201d signature). All other fields must be typed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Access your <a href=\"https:\/\/apply.montclair.edu\/portal\/admissions\">Undergraduate Student Admissions Portal<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/graduate.montclair.edu\/account\/login?r=https%3a%2f%2fgraduate.montclair.edu%2fapply%2fstatus\">Graduate Student Admissions Portal<\/a> and upload documents to the corresponding checklist items:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Passport:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Upload a copy of the face-page of your passport.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Visa:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you already have a valid visa (F-1 or otherwise) please upload a copy of it with your passport to the portal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2025\/08\/2025-26-Montclair-State-University-I-20-Application-Affidavit.pdf\"><strong>Application for I-20 and Affidavit of Support:<\/strong> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Download the fillable application form. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Financial Documents:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> See sources of funding instructions below.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If living off-campus for free with a friend or family member, you must also upload the <\/span><strong><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2023\/08\/Affidavit-of-Free-Room-and-Board-PDF.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Affidavit of Free Room and Board<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> form and supporting documentation under the &#8220;Application for Form I-20 or DS-2019\/Affidavit of Support&#8221; label in the admissions portal.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dependents:<\/strong> If you are bringing a dependent, you must submit proof of additional funds in the amount of <strong>$10,000 for a dependent spouse<\/strong> and <strong>$6,000 for each dependent (minor) child<\/strong> who will accompany you to the U.S. You must also submit the dependent&#8217;s passport identification page with your passport page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">IMPORTANT:<\/span> Ensure that you are uploading these documents to the checklist items with the corresponding names. If uploaded correctly, a <strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">green check-mark<\/span><\/strong> will appear next to each item within 24 hours. If any <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">red \u201cx\u2019s\u201d<\/span><\/strong> remain, there is a problem and you must re-submit the missing item(s).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Sources of Funding<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Any combination of funds is acceptable as long as you demonstrate that you can cover the <\/span><strong><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/estimated-i-20-expenses\" target=\"_blank\">full cost for one year<\/a>.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Please note that all costs are estimated for immigration purposes and subject to change. Your accurate cost of attendance will be reflected on your tuition bill.\u00a0Only submit financial documentation once your source of funding has been finalized. Documents should only be submitted for sponsors that you want to appear on your I-20.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Any questions about funding can be directed to <a href=\"mailto:I-20@montclair.edu\">I-20@montclair.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4><em>Support Documentation Guidelines<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Must be dated within the last <strong>three<\/strong> months\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Must have the name of account owner clearly listed\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Must be in English (or translated into English)<\/li>\n<li>Must state the account type (i.e. savings, checking, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Must state the type of currency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unacceptable Documents\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We do not accept investments, real estate, insurance policies, or pension funds\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Income tax forms, pay stubs, W2 forms<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Letters\/solvency certificates saying \u2018enough\u2019 or \u2018sufficient\u2019 funds are available, or that \u2018the holder is capable of supporting the student&#8217;. The bank certification letter MUST state the amount available in the account.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Acceptable Documents:\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n<h4>Personal Funds<\/h4>\n<p>If you are self-sponsoring, you must<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> provide financial support documentation your name. The closing amount in the bank account must equal or exceed the amount you are sponsoring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Family\/Friends (Sponsor)<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An <strong>Affidavit of Support<\/strong> must be completed by each sponsor. Each sponsor who completes an affidavit must provide financial support documentation. The closing amount in the bank account must equal or exceed the amount promised on the affidavit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Please note:<\/strong> If you are receiving funds from a business account (the bank account is listed under the business name, not an individual), you must provide the business registration, which states the name(s) of the business owner(s).The person who owns the business must complete and sign the <span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Affidavit of Support<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>精品成人福利在线 University Funds<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please note the amount of confirmed scholarship or graduate assistantship funding on the affidavit. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the assistantship or scholarship does not cover the total cost listed in cost estimate, you must show proof of funding that covers the remaining expenses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Graduate\/Doctoral Assistantship\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Graduate assistantships count toward financial support. Assistantships are offered for one year and are renewable later for another year (assistantships for doctoral\u00a0 students are renewable for a maximum of three years). You must indicate the amount of CONFIRMED assistantship funding in the affidavit and must upload other financial documentation that shows your ability to cover any remaining balance after deducting the award amount.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>PLEASE NOTE:<\/strong> On-campus employment CANNOT count towards proof of funding.<\/p>\n<h4>Other Sources of Support (Employer, Government, etc.)<\/h4>\n<p><em>Employer:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you are receiving funding from an employer, please provide a letter (on official company letterhead) which states the amount awarded to you and the duration of support.<\/li>\n<li>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">If you are receiving funds from a business account (the bank account is listed under the business name, not an individual), you must provide the business registration, which states the name(s) of the business owner(s).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>The person who owns the business must complete and sign the <strong>Affidavit of Support.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Government:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">If you are receiving funding from a government or employer, please provide a letter from that source stating the amount awarded to you and the duration of support.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Education Loans<\/h4>\n<p>You must provide an official letter from credit institution indicating approval of loan and amount approved. This letter must include the following information:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Period of time covered by the award\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Indicate 精品成人福利在线 University as the student\u2019s institution\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The total amount of support for the given time period<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Free Room and Board Support<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A person who is giving you free room and board may also be considered a sponsor. This sponsor must submit a the <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2023\/08\/Affidavit-of-Free-Room-and-Board-PDF.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Affidavit of Free Room and Board<\/a>. Free room and board reduces room and board expenses from the total amount indicated above for each program. The affidavit of Free Room and Board will not be accepted if the place to live is too far from 精品成人福利在线 University.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The sponsor must provide proof of residence in the form of a lease, utility bill, etc. &#8211; submitted to your admissions portal along with the signed affidavit. Documents should be submitted under the &#8220;Application for Form I-20 or DS-2019\/Affidavit of Support&#8221; label in the admissions portal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE:<\/strong> Incoming students CANNOT be sponsored by a current F-1 student from Montclair. We also do not accept affidavits of free room and board that are completed by other F-1 students.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">F-2 Dependents<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p data-start=\"135\" data-end=\"598\">F-2 dependents are the spouse or unmarried children (under age 21) of an F-1 student visa holder. The F-2 visa allows dependents to reside in the United States for the duration of the F-1 student\u2019s program. F-2 dependents are not permitted to work and have limited study options. Their immigration status is directly tied to the F-1 student, and each dependent is issued a separate I-20. The F-1 student is financially responsible for all accompanying dependents.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"600\" data-end=\"948\">Students who plan to bring dependents must include all dependent information at the time of submitting their initial I-20 application. Required documentation includes each dependent\u2019s passport information and proof of sufficient financial support. Dependents cannot be added after the initial I-20 has been issued, so advance planning is essential.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"950\" data-end=\"1001\">Proof of additional funding is required as follows:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1002\" data-end=\"1092\">\n<li data-start=\"1002\" data-end=\"1043\">\n<p data-start=\"1004\" data-end=\"1043\"><strong data-start=\"1004\" data-end=\"1015\">$10,000<\/strong> for each dependent spouse<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1044\" data-end=\"1092\">\n<p data-start=\"1046\" data-end=\"1092\"><strong data-start=\"1046\" data-end=\"1056\">$6,000<\/strong> for each dependent child (under 21)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1094\" data-end=\"1338\">Applicants requesting an I-20 for a dependent spouse must submit a copy of the marriage certificate and the spouse\u2019s passport. Applicants requesting an I-20 for a dependent child must submit a copy of the child\u2019s birth certificate and passport.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Change of Status Applicants<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p>To change your status, you must choose one of two methods:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Change of Status from Inside the U.S.<\/li>\n<li>Change of Status by Traveling Outside of and Re-Entering the U.S.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are changing your status by traveling outside of the U.S. and applying for the F-1 visa at a U.S. Embassy, you will apply for an initial I-20 by completing the I-20 application process outlined above.<\/p>\n<p>Students who are changing their status from within the U.S. must also complete the I-20 application process. On page 1 of the I-20 application, you will list your current visa status and indicate that you will apply for the status adjustment from within the U.S. In addition to the I-20 application, please complete and submit the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2025\/09\/Change-of-Non-Immigrant-Status-to-F-Status-Acknowledgement.pdf\">Change of Status Acknowledgement form<\/a> to your admissions portal. Once your I-20 application and financial documents have been approved, we will issue you an I-20 that will allow you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/i-539\">apply for the change of status with USCIS<\/a>. Montclair cannot assist with the change of status application process, we highly recommend that you work with an immigration lawyer.<\/p>\n<p>The change of status application is unpredictable and often takes\u00a0<strong>5 to 10 months<\/strong> to be approved by USCIS. Please schedule an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/appointments\/\">appointment with OGE<\/a> to discuss your study options while your application is pending. Certain visa types are permitted to begin studying while their change of status application is pending. B1\/2 visa holders are NOT permitted to study until their status has been adjusted to F-1.<\/p>\n<p>Students are responsible for their own change of status applications. Once you have submitted your application with USCIS, you must send OGE your receipt number. Once the change has been approved, please notify OGE and send us your official approval notice as soon as you receive it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students who plan to attend 精品成人福利在线 University on an F-1 visa must provide the necessary financial documentation as soon as possible so we can issue the appropriate immigration forms for them. Please review our Estimated I-20 Expenses page for more information about the estimated cost of attendance for your program of study. The amount [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":320,"featured_media":256,"parent":0,"menu_order":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2922","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2922"}],"version-history":[{"count":80,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5188,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2922\/revisions\/5188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}