Do Not Pack Your Form I-20 in Checked Luggage: One Form Runs From the SEVIS Fee to the Port of Entry
For students who obtain an F or M visa to study in the United States, the single most important sheet of paper is Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. A guide published July 22, 2025 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States platform explains that a designated school official (DSO) at a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issues the form to confirm a student has been accepted into an approved program of study.
The form carries the student's personal and academic details, SEVIS ID number, the school's SEVIS code, program start and end dates, tuition and expense figures and financial resources, and the DSO and student signatures. Every F and M student, and any eligible dependents, must have a valid Form I-20 throughout their stay; an electronically transmitted form should be printed and signed, and a printed signed copy must be presented at any visa interview or at a U.S. port of entry.
The form appears at every step: the SEVIS ID and school code are needed to pay the mandatory I-901 SEVIS Fee; the visa class and school must match the Form I-20 at the visa interview; entry is allowed up to 30 days before the program start date; throughout the stay the form verifies full-time enrollment; and it may be needed for a driver's license, a Social Security number if eligible, and work authorization.
One warning is explicit: keep a signed copy with you during travel and do not pack the Form I-20 in checked luggage. Request travel signatures from the DSO at least two to four weeks before traveling abroad, and notify the DSO of personal or academic changes so records and the form stay current. Only a DSO at an SEVP-certified school can issue the form; recruiters have no role in issuing or handling it. (Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：一本护照。Wikimedia Commons 图片。 / Photo: A passport. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
