From Admission Acceptance to Arrival in the U.S.: An Immigration Processes Timeline
CU Denver
Once you are admitted to CU Denver, you will receive an update from the application portal. In the portal, you can also find your admissions letter(s).
If you have decided that you will attend CU Denver, please accept your admission in the application portal. This will trigger the Immigration Document Creation process.
You should also download the admissions letter(s) from the portal and keep them with your other student immigration documents. You will need them when you apply for a visa and enter the U.S.
Two Days after Accepting Your Admission
After you accept your admission, you will receive an email from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) about starting the Immigration Document Creation Request (IDCR) process.
The IDCR process is where you can provide the documents required to receive an I-20 or DS-2019 to enter the U.S. for your studies at CU Denver.
The first email will direct you to the U.S. Immigration Questions form. The U.S. Immigration Questions form allows ISSS to learn about what type of immigration documents that you need.
After you complete the U.S. Immigration Questions form, you will receive a second email with a link to a form in MyISSS. MyISSS is ISSS’s immigration management system. MyISSS is where you will submit your immigration requests as a CU Denver student.
Please make sure that you have claimed your CU Denver credentials so that you can log into MyISSS. Please contact CU Denver Office of Information Technology (OIT) if you have problems accessing your CU Denver accounts.
As a part of the Immigration Document Creation Request, you will need to provide the following documents and information:
- A copy of the biographical page of your passport
- Passport biographical pages for dependents (a spouse or unmarried child under 21 years old) who will be joining you in the U.S.
- Your international address and other biographical and demographic information
- Financial documents showing that you can cover the cost of attendance for your program
- F-1 Students must show funding for at least one academic year.
- J-1 Students must show funding for the entire academic program.
If you are currently maintaining valid F-1 or J-1 status at another university, you may be able to transfer your existing SEVIS record to CU Denver. You must complete the SEVIS Transfer-In Request form as a part of the IDCR if you plan to transfer your SEVIS Record.
If you are studying as a general non-degree student, you must develop an academic plan with the support of a relevant faculty member. You and the faculty member will need to complete the Non-Degree Student Faculty Support Form.
10 to 15 Business Days After IDCR Completion
After ISSS has received all the required forms and documents, you should receive an email confirming the creation of your new I-20 or DS-2019 within 10 to 15 business days.
A business day is any day Monday through Friday when the CU Denver | Anschutz ISSS office is open. The processing timeline starts after ISSS has received all the documents and information necessary to create your I-20 or DS-2019.
Students who complete their IDCR forms correctly during their first submission will be prioritized for a 10-business-day processing time.
If you are transferring your SEVIS Record, please remember that ISSS cannot create your I-20 or DS-2019 until we receive your SEVIS Record from your previous school or program.
To avoid delays with ISSS processing your I-20 or DS-2019, please check your emails on a regular basis. An ISSS case specialist may contact you for additional information required to continue processing your request.
Apply for a U.S. Student Visa
If you are currently outside of the U.S. and do not have a valid U.S. student visa, you will need to apply for a visa to enter the U.S.
If you receive an I-20, you can now begin to apply for your F-1 visa. The F-1 visa allows you to request to enter the U.S. as a student in F-1 status. Any dependents joining you in the U.S. without a path to an independent U.S. immigration status will need an F-2 I-20 to apply for an F-2 visa to request F-2 status when they enter the U.S.
If you receive a DS-2019, you can now begin to apply for your J-1 visa. The J-1 visa allows you to request to enter the U.S. as a student in J-1 status. Any dependents joining you in the U.S. without a path to an independent U.S. immigration status will need a J-2 DS-2019 to apply for a J-2 visa to request J-2 status when they enter the U.S.
Canadian and Bermudian passport holders are not required to apply for an F or J visa before entering the U.S. Please bring your I-20 or DS-2019, admissions letter(s), and proof of funding documents with you when you enter the U.S.
Steps to Prepare for a U.S. Student Visa Application
1. Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee.
The I-901 SEVIS Fee is a fee that you pay to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to cover the cost of having a record in SEVIS the government system used to track the immigration status of F-1 and J-1 students and their dependents. ISSS must use SEVIS to create and update your I-20 or DS-2019.
You must pay this fee so that ISSS can activate your F-1 or J-1 status when you arrive in the
U.S. They may also want proof that you paid the fee at your visa appointment.
The current I-901 SEVIS fees are
- $350 for F-1 students
- $220 for J-1 students
F-2 and J-2 dependents are included in the primary student’s SEVIS Record. There is no additional I-901 SEVIS fee required for them.
Students who do a SEVIS Transfer from another school or maintain the same SEVIS Record for a new degree
at CU Denver | Anschutz do not need to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee again.
2. Complete the DS-160.
The DS-160 is the application to the U.S. Department of State to apply for a non-immigrant visa. A non-immigrant visa is a visa for someone who will be in the U.S. for a specific reason for a specific period of time. F and J visas are non-immigrant visas.
Please complete the DS-160 accurately and honestly. The information you enter on the DS-160 will be used by the Consular Officer to determine if you are eligible for an F or J visa.
If you enter incorrect information or miss an important detail, you may need to resubmit the DS-160 and pay the fee again.
3. Schedule a Visa Appointment
After you complete the DS-160, you will need to follow the Consulate or Embassy’s instructions on how to schedule your visa appointment. You will need your DS-160 application ID number to schedule the appointment.
Schedule a Visa Appointment.In most cases, you will need to attend an appointment in person. If you are renewing a visa for the same visa category, you may be able to renew your visa without an in-person appointment.
F and J visa applicants are expected to apply for their visa in their country of citizenship or residence. If you are outside of your country of citizenship, you may need to confirm with the embassy or consulate that you meet the requirements to apply for a visa in that country.
You can find additional information on the visa application process on the Arrival in Denver page.
You will also receive additional information from the International Admissions team about visa application advising resources.
After your F-1 or J-1 visa has been issued, you will have the documents needed to arrive in the U.S. for the start of your program.
You can arrive in the U.S. up to 30 days before the program start date on your I-20 or DS-2019.
We recommend that you arrive at least two weeks before the start of your first semester to give you time to establish yourself in the U.S. before you need to focus on your coursework.
Please review our Arrival in Denver page for information on preparing to arrive in the Denver area, finding housing, and completing general new student processes.
You can also begin to complete the ISSS Immigration Course that reviews your immigration requirements as an F-1 or J-1 student.
You can learn more about CU Denver academic advising and your enrollment requirements as an F-1 or J-1 student on our Academic Requirements page.
CU Anschutz
Please confirm with your academic program what steps that you need to take to accept your admission to the program.
After you have accepted your admission and received your admission letter, please work with your program to submit an Immigration Document Creation Request for you.
This confirms for ISSS that you are expected to be a CU Anschutz student and need an I-20 or DS-2019.
After Your Department Starts the Request Process
After your program submits their departmental form, you will receive an email from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) about starting the Immigration Document Creation Request (IDCR) process.
The email will have the subject “Please Begin the Request for Your I-20 or DS-2019.”
The IDCR process is where you provide the documents required to receive an I-20 or DS-2019 to enter the U.S. for your studies at CU Anschutz.
Please make sure that you have claimed your CU Anschutz credentials so that you can log into MyISSS. Please contact CU Anschutz Office of Information Technology (OIT) if you have problems accessing your CU Anschutz accounts.
As a part of the Immigration Document Creation Request, you will need to provide the following documents and information:
- A copy of the biographical page of your passport
- Passport biographical pages for dependents (a spouse or unmarried child under 21 years old) who will be joining you in the U.S.
- Your international address and other biographical and demographic information
- Financial documents showing that you can cover the cost of attendance for your program
- F-1 Students must show funding for at least one academic year.
- J-1 Students must show funding for the entire academic program.
If you are currently maintaining valid F-1 or J-1 status at another university, you may be able to transfer your existing SEVIS record to CU Anschutz. You must complete the SEVIS Transfer-In Request form as a part of the IDCR if you plan to transfer your SEVIS Record.
If you are studying as a general non-degree student, you must develop an academic plan with the support of a relevant faculty member. You and the faculty member will need to complete the Non-Degree Student Faculty Support Form.
10 to 15 Business Days After IDCR Completion
After ISSS has received all the required forms and documents, you should receive an email confirming the creation of your new I-20 or DS-2019 within 10 to 15 business days.
A business day is any day Monday through Friday when the CU Denver | Anschutz ISSS office is open. The processing timeline starts after ISSS has received all the documents and information necessary to create your I-20 or DS-2019.
Students who complete their IDCR forms correctly during their first submission will be prioritized for a 10-business-day processing time.
If you are transferring your SEVIS Record, please remember that ISSS cannot create your I-20 or DS-2019 until we receive your SEVIS Record from your previous school or program.
To avoid delays with ISSS processing your I-20 or DS-2019, please check your emails on a regular basis. An ISSS case specialist may contact you for additional information required to continue processing your request.
Apply for a U.S. Student Visa
If you are currently outside of the U.S. and do not have a valid U.S. student visa, you will need to apply for a visa to enter the U.S.
If you receive an I-20, you can now begin to apply for your F-1 visa. The F-1 visa allows you to request to enter the U.S. as a student in F-1 status. Any dependents joining you in the U.S. without a path to an independent U.S. immigration status will need an F-2 I-20 to apply for an F-2 visa to request F-2 status when they enter the U.S.
If you receive a DS-2019, you can now begin to apply for your J-1 visa. The J-1 visa allows you to request to enter the U.S. as a student in J-1 status. Any dependents joining you in the U.S. without a path to an independent U.S. immigration status will need a J-2 DS-2019 to apply for a J-2 visa to request J-2 status when they enter the U.S.
Canadian and Bermudian passport holders are not required to apply for an F or J visa before entering the U.S. Please bring your I-20 or DS-2019, admissions letter(s), and proof of funding documents with you when you enter the U.S.
Steps to Prepare for a U.S. Student Visa Application
1. Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee.
The I-901 SEVIS Fee is a fee that you pay to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to cover the cost of having a record in SEVIS the government system used to track the immigration status of F-1 and J-1 students and their dependents. ISSS must use SEVIS to create and update your I-20 or DS-2019.
You must pay this fee so that ISSS can activate your F-1 or J-1 status when you arrive in the
U.S. They may also want proof that you paid the fee at your visa appointment.
The current I-901 SEVIS fees are
- $350 for F-1 students
- $220 for J-1 students
F-2 and J-2 dependents are included in the primary student’s SEVIS Record. There is no additional I-901 SEVIS fee required for them.
Students who do a SEVIS Transfer from another school or maintain the same SEVIS Record for a new degree
at CU Denver | Anschutz do not need to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee again.
2. Complete the DS-160.
The DS-160 is the application to the U.S. Department of State to apply for a non-immigrant visa. A non-immigrant visa is a visa for someone who will be in the U.S. for a specific reason for a specific period of time. F and J visas are non-immigrant visas.
Please complete the DS-160 accurately and honestly. The information you enter on the DS-160 will be used by the Consular Officer to determine if you are eligible for an F or J visa.
If you enter incorrect information or miss an important detail, you may need to resubmit the DS-160 and pay the fee again.
3. Schedule a Visa Appointment
After you complete the DS-160, you will need to follow the Consulate or Embassy’s instructions on how to schedule your visa appointment. You will need your DS-160 application ID number to schedule the appointment.
Schedule a Visa Appointment.In most cases, you will need to attend an appointment in person. If you are renewing a visa for the same visa category, you may be able to renew your visa without an in-person appointment.
F and J visa applicants are expected to apply for their visa in their country of citizenship or residence. If you are outside of your country of citizenship, you may need to confirm with the embassy or consulate that you meet the requirements to apply for a visa in that country.
You can find additional information on the visa application process on the Arrival in Denver page.
You will also receive additional information from the International Admissions team about visa application advising resources.
After your F-1 or J-1 visa has been issued, you will have the documents needed to arrive in the U.S. for the start of your program.
You can arrive in the U.S. up to 30 days before the program start date on your I-20 or DS-2019.
We recommend that you arrive at least two weeks before the start of your first semester to give you time to establish yourself in the U.S. before you need to focus on your coursework.
Please review our Arrival in Denver page for information on preparing to arrive in the Denver area, finding housing, and completing general new student processes.
You can also begin to complete the ISSS Immigration Course that reviews your immigration requirements as an F-1 or J-1 student.
You can learn more about CU Denver academic advising and your enrollment requirements as an F-1 or J-1 student on our Academic Requirements page.