Here are some topics that may answer some of your questions regarding passports, visas, and I-20 forms
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When you receive your I-20 form from Sacred Heart University
After Sacred Heart University receives your completed application form, Bank Statement, and $50 non-refundable application fee, it will take a few days to process your application. Once you are admitted to the English Language Program, you will receive an official notification along with an I-20. After receiving your I-20, read it carefully. Page 2 lists the conditions all students must accept when entering the United States to study.
Complete Number 11 on page 1 of the I-20 form. After you have completed Number 11, you can apply for an F-1 student visa at the U.S Consulate or Embassy in your country. Be sure to bring the following with you:
- Your valid passport
- Your acceptance letter from Sacred Heart University
- Your I-20
- Letter of financial support and bank statement
- Payment confirmation of SEVIS I-901 Fee (attached to I-20)
When your student visa application is approved
A visa stamp will be put in your passport. You cannot enter the U.S. without a valid visa. It will note the period of time that your visa will remain valid and the number of entries you will be allowed on the visa. The I-20 and your passport will be returned to you for admission to the U.S.
When you arrive at your port of entry in the U.S.
Show your passport, visa, and the I-20 form to an immigration official.
You will be given an I-94 form (Arrival/Departure Record).
This is the arrival and departure card that is stapled inside your passport. This card indicates your status (usually F-1). Some I-94 cards indicate a specific date by which you must leave the U.S. Other cards are marked D/S (Duration of Status) and means that you may stay in the U.S. until you complete your studies.