Current F-1 or J-1 Student Visa Holders
If you are currently holding an F-1 or J-1 student visa and plan to transfer from another U.S. institution to FIU you must also submit a DCF with supporting documents as
indicated above. Your current institution must release your SEVIS record to FIU before your new Form l-20/DS-2019 will be issued; this happens only after you are admitted to
FIU. Therefore, you need to complete the top section of the F-1 Student Transfer Form (page 5) including your current U.S. address and have the international student
advisor at your current/previous school complete the bottom section. Once we have received the form and your SEVIS record has been released, we will begin the
process to issue a new Form l-20/DS-2019.
Information in SEVIS must be electronically forwarded to FIU before issuance of the new Form l-20/DS-2019 will be possible. Your SEVIS record will only be released at the
end of the term in which you are currently enrolled.
Please do not plan any international travel without making appropriate arrangements for securing your new l -20/DS-2019 in advance. A minimum of two full
weeks processing time is needed for your l-20/DS-2019 to be ready once all documents are received and approved. You must use a courier service if you leave the
country without receiving your transfer I-20; you are strongly encouraged not to leave the country without your transfer I-20. International Admissions cannot
guarantee faster processing time.
Current F-1 or J-1 Student Visa Holder Not in Status
If you are not in status at the time of your admissions offer, there are two options, reinstatement or reentry into the United St ate s. The process of reinstatement is
lengthy and requires the approval by your previous institution, their request to SEVIS to reinstate your record and approval by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS). Your previous institution will not submit a reinstatement request, if you are not currently enrolled as a fulltime student, this includes if you have
completed your program or have stayed beyond the 60-day grace period. For reentry, International Admissions will issue you a new initial I-20 and request that you
" restart " your F-1 status by reentering the United Stat es. It is not suggested to make new entry into the United States by way of the Caribbean. Taking a cruise is
also not a viable reentry option. International Admissions strongly encourages the issuance of a new I-20 and reentry to the U.S. in most cases. Your new initial I-
20 and new SEVIS number will require you to pay the SEVIS fee; you may not need a new F1 if your F-1
visa
is
still
valid
.
Please
retain
your
expired I-20.
Students with Dependents
Students who plan to bring their dependent(s) to the U.S. will require additional financial support to cover the dependents and must complete page 2 of the DCF form.
The additional financial support should be reflected on the student's DCF form page 3 in the amount of $6,000 for his/her spouse and $4,000 for each child. Additional
insurance for the family of F-1 students is optional, but highly recommended. Medical insurance is required for a II J-2 dependents. F-2 dependents are not permitted to
work but may enroll part-time in university coursework.
Athletes
Student Athletes are students who are enrolled full-time and formally part of a school sanctioned intercollegiate competitive sports program
Special Programs
Academic units offering unique programs with special rates will provide a departmental memo that includes the program’s cost of attendance for 12 months. This memo must include
the student’s full name, Panther ID number, be on department letterhead, and contain the signature of the Dean. Separately, the department will share a list of students in these
cohorts/programs to the Office of International Admissions to ensure accuracy.
l-20/DS-2019 Delivery Options
DUE TO COVID-19 WE ARE ONLY E-MAILING I-20’s.
Next Steps
Once you receive your Initial l-20/DS-2019 you should proceed to pay the SEVIS 1-901 Fee, schedule an appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate and apply for an F-1 or J-1
visa. You can review these steps here: https://internationaladmissions.fiu.edu/last-steps/ International Student and Scholar Services provides helpful pre-arrival guide on their
website https://isss.fiu.edu/international-students/new-f-1-students/