Obtain your immigration documents

If you will be studying in the United States on an F-1 or J-1 student visa, you will need to accept your offer of admission, pay your acceptance fee (previously known as the Advanced Enrollment Deposit), upload a scan of your passport and show adequate proof of financial support so that Michigan State University can issue you the appropriate documents to obtain a student visa (I-20 or DS-2019). Once you have received your I-20 or DS-2019 from MSU, you will need to apply for a student visa to study in the U.S.

Upload a scan of your passport

For MSU to issue the documents required to obtain a student visa, international students must send a scanned copy of their passport photo, in addition to paying the acceptance fee and submitting financial proof. A scan of your passport photo can be uploaded in the "file upload" section of your account.

Submit financial proof

Financial proof consists of:

• A signed affidavit of support
• A supporting bank statement, per instructions on the affidavit, showing an amount equal to or greater than the first year's total expenses of attending MSU

You should upload both of these documents via the "file upload" section in your account after you have paid your acceptance fee.

Note: Sending these documents in paper form will delay processing your I-20 or DS-2019.

Retrieving Your Immigration Document

F-1 visa
For an F-1 visa, students will need the Form I-20 to apply for an F-1 visa stamp and travel to the United States. The Form I-20 will be available for download via a direct link sent to your MSU student email account after your Affidavit of Support, bank statement, and passport scan have been reviewed. You must access your MSU email account and download the Form I-20. Once downloaded, you must print all pages and sign by hand under the student attestation on page one of the I-20. Once you print and hand-sign the Form I-20, you are eligible to apply for an F-1 visa stamp at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Students getting a new student visa are eligible to enter the U.S. after the earliest admission date listed on page one of the Form I-20.

J-1 visa
Students who will be applying for a J-1 visa will need to get a physical copy of their Form DS-2019. Once the uploaded scan of your passport and financial proof have been approved, you will receive an email form Michigan State University’s third-party shipping provider, eShip Global, with instructions on how to receive your immigration documents via express mail. You should follow the instructions in this email to select delivery options for your DS-2019. This form cannot be emailed. After receiving your DS-2019 you are eligible to apply for your J-1 visa. Further details on next steps will be included with your DS-2019 shipment.

SEVIS transfer students

If you are transferring to MSU from another U.S. institution (high school, community college, university, etc.), are currently in F-1 or J-1 status, and need an MSU I-20 or DS-2019, you must complete the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) transfer process. MSU cannot issue these documents until that process is complete. Please follow the SEVIS transfer instructions in order to receive new immigration documents from MSU.

SEVIS information and fee

For information about the SEVIS and the SEVIS fee, please visit MSU's Office for International Students and Scholars.

Changing visa status

If you are a student requesting immigration documentation that does not correspond to your current visa status, you need to change your visa status. Receiving an I-20 or DS-2019 does not automatically change your status to an F-1 or J-1 student.

Provisionally admitted students

If you are a provisionally admitted student, MSU will initially issue your I-20 for “Language Training” in compliance with U.S. Federal regulations. The remarks section on the I-20 will indicate the major preference you will pursue once you fulfill MSU’s English language proficiency requirement. MSU will still classify you as an undergraduate student in your requested major preference. You will live on campus in residence halls with other MSU students and have full access to MSU facilities and support services.

Upon meeting MSU’s English language proficiency requirement, MSU’s Office for International Students and Scholars will issue you a new I-20 for undergraduate study in your requested major preference for the duration of your studies at Michigan State University.

For more information about arriving as a provisionally admitted students, visit the OISS website.