You must be first admitted to UC Davis, and indicate that you plan to attend the University before SISS can prepare your I-20 or DS-2019 form. International students will need an I-20 or DS-2019 form before they can apply for a student F-1 or J-1 visa.
The Student Visa : F-1 or J-1?
Most students coming to UC Davis use the F-1 visa. This is the most common visa for international students studying in the United States.
Students in an educational exchange program, such as UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), JD Exchange, Vietnam Education Foundation, should use the J-1 visa. To be eligible for a J-1 visa a majority of the student's financial support must come from sources other than personal funds. Sometimes government funded students are required by that government to use the J-1 visa.
J-1 Status |
F-1 Status |
| Must have majority of financial support from non-personal sources | Any type of financial support is acceptable |
| All employment, both on-campus and off-campus requires work authorization from SISS | Limited on-campus employment does not require work authorization. All off-campus employment requires authorization from SISS or USCIS. |
| Academic Training (AT) after program completion, which is a type of employment, is avaiable for up to 18 months. Those that complete a PhD are eligible for an additional 18 months of AT. You must have a job offer to apply for AT. | Optional Practical Training (OPT) after program completion is available for 12 months, with a 17 month extension possible for STEM majors. A job offer is not required, but there is a limit to the amount of time that a student can remain unemployed. |
| J-2 dependents may work after obtaining work authorization, and may attend school full-time or part-time. | F-2 dependents are not allowed to work. An F-2 spouse may not engage in full-time study, and F-2 children may only attend kindergarten through twelfth grade full-time. Study that is avocational or recreational is allowed. |
| J-1 and J-2 dependents may be subject to the 2-Year Foreign Residence Requirement. | There is no 2-Year Foreign Residence Requirement. |
The U.S. Department of State– Bureau of Consular Affairs has a number of helpful web sites:
- Obtaining a U.S. Visa
- SEVIS Fee information
- U.S. Embassies & Consulates
- Visa Wait Times
- Customer Service Statement to Visa Applicants
- Foreign Embassies & Consulates in the U.S.
Requesting the I-20 or DS-2019 Form from SISS
An I-20 or DS-2019 form is required to apply for the F-1 or J-1 visa. SISS begins processing new Fall quarter requests for I-20s or DS-2019s in March. If you are a new student beginning in fall. SISS must receive all of the required documentation along with your I-20/DS-2019 Request Form. You may want to send your documents by way of express mail to assure a timely delivery. Please submit all documents together.
We understand that you are anxious about receiving your I-20 or DS-2019 for your visa interview. It will take our office approximately 14 business days to create your I-20/DS-2019 from the day that we have received all of your documents. We will not begin processing until all of your documents have been received. Please make sure that you submit your Statement Intent to Register (SIR). Graduate students do this through the Embark online system, while undergraduates do this through the MyAdmissions web site. We will not be able to begin processing your document until this has been submitted to the University.
Please allow sufficient processing time before contacting our office. If you need to contact the office, it is strongly advised that you email SISS (siss@ucdavis.edu) and your international student advisor.
Students who have been offered admission should submit a request for the I-20 or DS-2019 form. The appropriate I-20/DS-2019 Request Form can be downloaded at the Student Forms page.
Transfer Students and Student Coming from other Institutions
If you are a transfer student or are coming to UC Davis from another U.S. university, SISS will only be able to issue your DS-2019 or I-20 form after you have contacted your previous institution and requested a trasfer of your SEVIS record to our office. Please remember that you cannot begin your program at UC Davis unless you have a UC Davis DS-2019 or I-20.
Check-In and Orientation
After arriving in Davis, a student should check-in at SISS and plan to attend the mandatory orientation sessions. Check-in is required for all F-1 and J-1 students, including Education Abroad Program (EAP) students and Fulbright students.
