Immigration and Visa Information

An F1 student visa a non-immigrant visa type that allows you to enter the US as a full-time student at an accredited university or college.The primary purpose of an F1 student visa is to study.

An I-20 is a form that is issued by an accredited US university or college. This form is required to be able to attend an F1 student visa interview.

The I-20 contains information about the student, the school, and the student's program of study.

Per the US Department of Homeland Security federal regulations, to obtain an I-20, a student must:

• Be Fully Admitted into the university
• Show Financial Verification (proof of finances) for at least 1 year of study
  • For more information and details on what is required for this, please click here
• Submit a copy of their Passport Biographic Page

Please upload your I-20 documents to your Applicant Portal

For WT to be able to issue an I-20, a student must be fully admitted into the university and provide additional documents. Please see the "How do I Get an I-20?" for the list of documents you will need to submit.

Documents are generally processed in about 5-8 business days. However, during our busiest times of year (May-September and December-February), these processing times may be delayed.

Fall Semester Deadlines:

I-20 Document Submission Deadline: July 15th

Last Day I-20s Will be Issued: August 1st

Spring Semester Deadlines:

I-20 Document Submission Deadline: November 15th

Last Day I-20s Will be Issued: December 1st

Per the federal regulations, F1 visa holders can work on-campus up to 20 hours per week during the semester. During official university breaks, F1 visa holders can work on-campus up to 40 hours per week.

Off-campus work is strictly prohibited on the F1 student visa.

Before applying for or accepting any kind of job or volunteer position, please visit our F1 Visa Employment Regulations page

We understand the value and importance of internships, especially for our international students. Please be aware that internship participation requires immigration authorization from the International office.

Before applying for or accepting an internship position, please review our Internships page

There are many regulations associated with the F1 student visa. These regulations are implemented by the US federal government Department of Homeland Security.

Our office is here to help you navigate these regulations to maintain your visa status.

Please visit our F1 Visa Regulations Overview page for more information on the regulations that you will need to follow as an F1 student visa holder.

Our Current Students page also has more detailed information on specific topics.

We need all of the following documents for US Transfer students:

• Passport Biographic page
• Financial Verification (see "How do I Get an I-20" above for more details on this)
• Most Recent I-94 - this can be retrieved here
• Current or Most Recent I-20 from Current/Most Recent US Institution
• Visa Biographic page (even if it has expired)
• Home Country Permanent Address - we physically cannot issue an I-20 without this information
• Current or Most Recent US Address - we physically cannot issue an I-20 without this information
• SEVIS Record Transfer - you will need to request a SEVIS record transfer from your current DSO (Desginated School Official) at your current/most recent institution. Please see the email with the subject "You're In! What Now?" for more details on this requirement.

WT does not accept SEVIS records that are in terminated or completed status.

If admitted to WT, and if your SEVIS record is in terminated or completed status, you will need to leave the US and return with a new WTAMU I-20. You will also need to pay a new I-901 SEVIS fee.

If the visa stamp in your passport is still valid, then you may use that to reenter the US. If the visa stamp has expired, however, you will need to reapply for a new visa.

When reentering the US, you will need the following:

• WTAMU I-20
• Proof of I-901 SEVIS fee payment
• Valid F1 visa stamp in your passport

Please note: WT does not make admissions decisions based on race, national origin, or immigration status.

To receive an I-20 from WT as a US transfer student, you will need to submit the documents listed above and have your SEVIS record transferred to WT (see document requirements).

Of note: You still need to submit financial verification documentation for us to be able to issue your WT I-20.

When your SEVIS record is transferred to a different institution, and your new institution issues you a new I-20, there are some very important things that you need to know. These are all federal Department of Homeland Security regulations:

• Your new I-20 is considered "Initial Status"
• You cannot start working on-campus at WT until 30 days before the start date listed on your WT I-20
• The CPT and OPT clock starts over: per the federal regulations, students in F1 visa status must be enrolled full-time as an F1 visa holder for at least 2 long semesters (a Fall and a Spring) to be eligible to apply for CPT (internships) or OPT (post-completion work authorization)
  
  • Of note: WT does not allow first-semester CPT for any program, including for US transfer students. Most programs require students to be enrolled for at least 2 long semesters before they will allow internship participation

If you will remain in the US, your F1 visa stamp can expire.

If you will travel outside of the US, you will need a valid visa stamp to be able to return to the US.

If you travel outside of the US, you will need your WT I-20 before applying to renew your visa stamp.

Per the federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, for WT to be able to issue an I-20, a student must first be fully admitted into the university.

For information on the application and admissions process, please visit our Applicants page.

Per the US Department of Homeland Security federal regulations, to obtain an I-20, a student must submit the following documents:

• Financial Verification
  • For the amount that you will need to show, please visit our Costs page
  • For details on acceptable documents, please visit here
• Affidavit of Support
  • This is needed if your name is not on the financial verification document, or is not the only name on the document. Please visit here for more information on this and for the link to the form
  • This is not needed for:
    • WT funds (scholarships, graduate assistantships, etc.)
• Passport Biographic Page

Please note: if you are currently in the US on an F1 student visa, we will need some additional documentation. Please visit your Applicant Portal for the full list of documents that we will need.

Please upload your I-20 documents to your Applicant Portal

Once all I-20 documents are submitted, it will take WT approximately 5-8 business days to process your documents. Once approved, we will then issue and send your I-20 to you by email.

You will need to print and sign your I-20 once received.

Once you receive your I-20, the next step is to pay the required I-901 SEVIS Fee. All nonimmigrant students on an F1 student visa must pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee. This fee funds the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System). This fee is separate from visa fees and school SEVIS administration fees.

For more information about this fee, including instructions on how to pay, please visit the USCIS I-901 SEVIS Fee page

Once the I-901 SEVIS fee has been paid, the next step is to actually schedule your visa appointment with your local US Embassy or Consulate.

Each Embassy/Consulate has their own processes for applying for a visa. Please visit your local Embassy/Consulate's page for information on how to schedule your appointment.

On the F1 student visa, per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, students can bring their spouse and child(ren) with them. They will need an F2 dependent visa to enter the US.

Other family members, such as parents, grandparents, siblings, or other members will need to apply for a different visa type to be able to enter the US.

For a dependent to be able to apply for an F2 dependent visa, they will need an I-20, issued by WT. The primary, F1 visa holder, must be ready for or already have an I-20 for us to be able to add a dependent.

We can add a dependent when we issue the initial I-20, after the initial I-20 has been issued, or any time after the student (F1 visa holder) arrives in the US.

To be able to issue a dependent I-20, we will need the following documents:

• Passport Biographic page of dependent(s)
• Additional financial verificiation (in addition to the finances shown for the F1 visa holder)
  • Spouse: Will need an additional $4,500
  • Child(ren): Will need an additional $2,000 per child

We are excited that you want to bring your family with you! We have several items that you may wish to consider when bringing family. We generally encourage students to come alone for their first semester at WT. This allows you to focus on your studies and adjust to life in the United States. It also allows you time to prepare for your family's arrival, such as arranging transportation, housing, etc.

We understand the challenges both of bringing your family and leaving them behind. We want you to know if you do choose to come alone, you do not need to wait for a full semester before requesting an I-20 for dependent(s). You can talk to us about bringing dependents at any time, even as soon as you arrive on-campus.

Visa Process

• Students must prove ties to their home country at the visa interview. Bringing family can complicate this

Housing

• WT does not offer family housing options
• There are off-campus housing options, however, WT is not able to assist students with off-campus housing arrangements

Transportation

• Canyon and Amarillo do not have public transportation options and are not walkable cities
• You need a car to get around to most places

Finances

• In addition to the I-20 costs that you must show for yourself, you will need to show additional finances for your dependent(s) - please see "Getting an I-20 for your Dependent(s)" for the costs

School for Children

• School-aged children must attend school. WT is not able to assist in finding or enrolling children in school

Filling the Time

• What will your spouse and/or children do during the day?
• F2 dependents are prohibited from working, per the federal Department of Homeland Security regulations
• Adults may only attend school part-time. This includes language programs

Culture

• When coming to the US, there are often very big cultural differences, such as language, money, isolation, friends, and other factors

Distractions

• Your primary reason for being in the US is to study. Will having your family with you be a distraction, especially during the first semester, when you are first learning and adjusting to American and WT culture, education system, cultural adjustments, finding and getting your child into school, etc.?

If you are already in the US on a non-F1 student visa, you will need to upload all of the following to your Applicant Portal:

• Passport Biographic page
• Visa Stamp and/or I-797 indicating your current visa status
  • If you have applied for Permanent Residence, please upload both your I-797 Receipt Notice and documentation of your current visa status
• Most Recent I-94

No! If you will study all-online from your home country and do not have a valid US visa stamp, you do not need to submit any immigration documents.

If you wish to enter the US on a non-F1 visa while attending WT, please email us with your Passport, visa stamp, and I-94 once you enter the US.

If you wish to enter the US on an F1 student visa while attending WT, please email us, and we will walk you through the process! You can also view the F1 student information at the top of this page.

Some important information about the F1 student visa if you do choose to enter the US later on:

• Per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, to qualify for CPT (internships) or OPT (post-completion work authorization), you must be in valid F1 student visa status for at least 2 long semesters.
• We cannot issue an I-20 for certain programs that do not meet F1 student visa regulations. Please reach out to our office to inquire if we can issue an I-20 for your program.