I-20s and Student Visas

[Supafly MD]

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know whether its ok to use an I-20 form from one school to get a student visa, then, attend another school if accepted from the waitlist?

Both schools start class on the same day and I haven't heard from my waitlist school yet...just hoping... I feel guilty dropping an acceptance after the school drafted up an I-20 form for me. An I-20 still doesn't mean enrollment, right? So, I am still free to accept other acceptances according to the AAMC?

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[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

I will pm you with another question. I had a lot of trouble with admissions offices are telling me non-sence. I am an international student, too. In my understanding getting an I-20 does not mean anything. You can still go to a different. But when you get a vsia with this I-20, there may be some problems because a visa is issued for a specific school

 

[jalan2]

From my experience as an int'l student undergrad back in the mid- 1990s (I won't be int'l anymore for med school), schools draft I-20s but you don't actually have to use them. But you HAVE TO get and use the I-20 from the school that you actually matriculate in. Disclaimer: I have no idea whether the rules have changed, especially after 9/11.

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by Supafly, MD
Hey everyone,

Does anyone know whether its ok to use an I-20 form from one school to get a student visa, then, attend another school if accepted from the waitlist?

Both schools start class on the same day and I haven't heard from my waitlist school yet...just hoping... I feel guilty dropping an acceptance after the school drafted up an I-20 form for me. An I-20 still doesn't mean enrollment, right? So, I am still free to accept other acceptances according to the AAMC?

Yeah, getting an I-20 from a school does not mean that you HAVE to matriculate at that school. However, you cannot enter the US with the I-20 of one school if you intends to enrol in another right upon entering. You will get into big trouble. A Canadian friend of mine at undergrad decided to enter the US without even telling them that they were coming in with the intend of enrolling in university because he was late to the airport and did not want to get delayed at the airport to fill out some formed related to I-20. Therefore, he just told them that he was travelling. He figured that he would just re-enter the border a bit later with his official I-20 and that would be fine. He got into some trouble for what he did.

For Canadians, it is really easy for us to enter the US and leave at our will. However, you will realize that once you become a student, your travel will be very limited. YOu will be asked to present your I-20 even if you enter the US during summer vacation with the intend of simply "travelling." The day of no hassle from US custom is over the day you officially become a foreign student in the USA.

For Canadians, our I-20 is pretty much representing the whole F-1 visa. We don't need to have ID photos, etc. like international students from other countries who need those photos as part of their visa document that they carry.

 

[moo]

Actually this just happened to me. I was in Milwaukee last week all ready to begin at MCW. I had entered the US with the I-20 issued to me by MCW. At the last minute I found out I was accepted to Northwestern so I basically had to surrender my I-20 back to MCW, and they had to notify the INS that I was transferring schools. I am back in Canada now, but I will re-enter the US with the new I-20 issued to me by NW and get a new student visa. I'm not sure if you have to leave the country and get back in though, because I'm pretty sure you can just apply for a transfer. I just left b/c NW starts two weeks later than MCW and I didn't have a place to stay in Milwaukee.

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by moo
Actually this just happened to me. I was in Milwaukee last week all ready to begin at MCW. I had entered the US with the I-20 issued to me by MCW. At the last minute I found out I was accepted to Northwestern so I basically had to surrender my I-20 back to MCW, and they had to notify the INS that I was transferring schools. I am back in Canada now, but I will re-enter the US with the new I-20 issued to me by NW and get a new student visa. I'm not sure if you have to leave the country and get back in though, because I'm pretty sure you can just apply for a transfer. I just left b/c NW starts two weeks later than MCW and I didn't have a place to stay in Milwaukee.

Hi Moo,
Welcome to the annoying-and-incompetent-us-custom-get-off-my-back club Your life @ the Canadian/American border will never be the same from now on. Your experience at the border will be filled with lots of attention and fanfare (suspicious eyes, intense questioning, etc.).