SEVIS Form I-20

The Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status, is an official U.S. government form. A prospective non-immigrant student must have a Form I-20 issued by a SEVP-certified school in order to become a F-1 student.

Only a SEVP-certified school can issue a Form I-20 to students that have been accepted for enrollment. All academic and financial admission requirements must have been met before the Technical College of the Lowcountry can issue Form I-20. It acts as proof of acceptance and contains the information that is needed to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, apply for a visa or change to status, and admission into the United States.

The Form I-20 has the student’s unique SEVIS identification (ID) number on the upper left-hand side. SEVIS ID numbers begin with the letter N.

SEVIS I-901 Fee

Prospective students must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee after a SEVIS Form I-20 has been issued to them and before applying for the F-1 visa. For F-1 students the fee is currently $350.

The fee may be paid online on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website. You will need your SEVIS ID number shown on your I-20. Also, you must print a receipt showing that you have paid the SEVIS I-901 fee. You will need to schedule an appointment with a U.S. Embassy for a F-1 visa interview.

For alternative methods of fee payment or for more information about the SEVIS I-901 fee, see the FAQ on the SEVIS I-901 fee.


Office of Admissions International Student Coordinators:

PDSO: Allison Canning (acanning@tcl.edu)
DSO (New River Campus): admissions@tcl.edu