Congratulations on your admission to Yale! OISS will begin processing the visa documents for newly admitted students after we have confirmation of your admission from your school. The steps listed below are for students who are outside the U.S. and will be applying for a F-1 or J-1 student visa to attend Yale.
If you have any questions, please contact your designated OISS adviser.
Yale College students should contact their designated OISS adviser, Daniel Riecker.
Preliminary Steps
Professional School students will submit financial documents directly to their school. Please reach out to your school contact or Admissions Office for more information.
GSAS Masters students should go to the Application Status Portal to submit their Financial Certification form and supporting documents. The form will be available on your Application Status Portal only after you accept an offer of admission.
Yale College students are not required to complete the financial certification form. You will instead upload evidence of funding for your first year at Yale to the New Student Survey (see next section).
Deadlines
Each school will have a deadline to submit documents, and your immigration document cannot be issued until you do, so be sure that you complete this step.
3 to 5 days after accepting your offer of admission, you will receive an email from OISS with a link to an online survey (the New Student Survey). We begin this process in mid to late March. With hundreds of documents to issue, completing the online survey as soon as possible helps ensure that you receive your immigration document (an I-20 for F visa or DS-2019 for J visa) in good time.
After receiving your information and all required supporting documentation, OISS will issue your immigration document (I-20 or DS-2019). This generally takes 7 to 10 business days. Your immigration document will be emailed to you unless an original is required.
OISS will contact you if any more information or documents are needed before we can issue your I-20/DS-2019.
Thoroughly review your I-20 or DS-2019 to make sure all of the information is correct. Sign the form at the bottom of page 1. If you have any questions, please contact your OISS adviser.
All new students coming in F-1 or J-1 status must pay a one-time SEVIS fee prior to applying for their visa. Learn more about paying your SEVIS fee. You must do so before you attend your visa interview.
Apply for Your Visa
Special Note For Canadians:Once you have your SEVIS number, you can start the visa application by completing the DS-160 online application and scheduling an appointment at the embassy or consulate. Follow the links below to learn more.
Next Steps
Follow the instructions below depending on your visa type.
