If you are an international student outside of the United States and want to come to the United States for education, make sure you are applying to an accredited college or university. Look for your school on the Council for Higher Education web page.

You must have a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, to travel. After you are accepted into a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school, a designated school official will either give you:

• Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status –For Academic and Language Students, or
• Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status –For Vocational Students

Schools that are not accredited cannot sponsor you for an F-1 student visa.

Additional information on the Form I-20 is available on the DHS website at studyinthestates.dhs.gov or on our website on the Students and Employment page.