ayhz2003

Hi all:

I have a question:

If I apply to a university while visiting the US, can I get the I-20 form there, or I have to leave to Canada and receive it there?

I'm asking because as a Canadian I do not need F-1 visa, just I-20 and I-94 forms. But Can I receive the I-20 inside the US?

thanks for your help

Vladimir Menkov

In article <[email protected]>,
ayhz2003 <member22896@british_expats.com> wrote:
...
    >If I apply to a university while visiting
    >the US, can I get the I-20 form there, or I have to leave to Canada and
    >receive it there?
    >I'm asking because as a Canadian I do not need F-1
    >visa, just I-20 and I-94 forms. But Can I receive the I-20 inside the
    >US?

Sure, you probably can pick the form I-20 at the International
Students Office at your school, or have it mailed to your US address.

But for you to start studying, you generally need to be in the F-1
status (which is evidenced by form I-94). The easiest way for you, as
a Canadian citizen, to start being in that status, is to leave the USA
and re-enter (from Canada, or from Mexico, or from any other foreign
country). As you present your I-20 on re-entry, BCBP will admit you as
a foreign student and issue you a new I-94 annotated "F-1".

If you don't want to leave the country, you can try changing your
status from B-2 (which I suppose, is your current status) to F-1 by
mail, by filing a Change of Status petition (I-539?) with a BCIS
service center, but it may take a few months (and a $100+ fee). But
these days I don't know if they will approve your petition unless you
have identified yourself as a prospective student (college applicant)
when you last entered the country. (If you had done so, you would have
a B-2 I-94 annotated "prospective student" or some such now). Check
with your int'l student office.

--vladimir (Penticton, B.C., Canada)