F-1 Student:  Unstamped Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility

With the launch of USCIS ELIS, new online immigration system, on May 22, 2012, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer stamp Forms I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 Students Status student (Form I-20).  A form I-20 certificate does not need a stamp to be valid.  USCIS ELIS stands for USCIS Electronic Immigration System.  Currently, certain (but not all) immigration applications can be filed via USCIS ELIS which is designed to shorten immigration processing time and improve customer-friendly features.

F-1 students wishing to have USCIS stamp their Form I-20 may make an InfoPass appointment with the USCIS at http://infopass.uscis.gov/  .  The USCIS may stamp their Form I-20 at the USCIS office; a transitional service that USCIS field offices will discontinue in the near future.

F-1 students using USCIS ELIS to file a Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, can scan and upload, online, their supporting documentation, including the Form I-20.  Once approved, the USCIS will issue an approval notice on Form I-797 but the I-20 will not be returned with a stamp.

A stamp is different from an endorsement on Form I-20. A Form I-20 is endorsed when a Designated School Official (DSO) signed the Form I-20 for specific purposes.   A DSO’s endorsement on the original Form I-20 is required before a student may travel internationally or apply for employment authorization.

May 30, 2012:  By Aik Wan Kok Fillali, Attorney USA Immigration Services, at Tiya; Tel: 703-772-8224; Email: koka at tiyalaw dot com

https://www.tiyaimmigration.com ; http://tiyalaw.blogspot.com ; https://immigrationresource.net

We represent companies, employers, individuals and families in green card, work visa and citizenship matters in U.S. immigration law. We also have a focus on self-petition green card cases such as extraordinary ability and national interest waiver.

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This article is intended for informational purposes only; and should not be relied on as legal or any advice, or attorney-client relationship

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