To begin the F-1 / J-1 student visa process, you must: 

• Be admitted to a full-time program of study at Brown, and accept your admissions offer by the deadline set by your admissions office
• Activate your Brown account (instructions will be sent by email)
• Set up your Brown email account (instructions will be sent by email after you have activated your Brown account)

About three business days after your Brown email is set up, you will receive a “Welcome to the ISSS Gateway” email from your admissions office (undergraduates / master's students) or ISSS (MFA / PhD students). Follow the instructions carefully. Proceed to the next step to learn more about the kinds of documents you'll need to upload into the Gateway for your I-20 or DS-2019.

Students Already in the U.S. in F-1 Status: F-1 Transfer

If you are already in the U.S. in F-1 status, you will need to take additional steps to transfer your F-1 SEVIS record to Brown University. 

• Talk to an international student advisor at your current school, and inform them of your plan to start a new program at Brown University. Your advisor may ask to see your proof of admission to Brown and will also need to know Brown's F-1 school code, which is BOS214F20089000.
• You and your current advisor will need to decide on a transfer release date, which is the date that your F-1 SEVIS record will be sent to Brown. Decide on your transfer release date carefully, as you will no longer be under the F-1 sponsorship of your current school once that date is reached. If you are on post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), your OPT is no longer valid on your transfer release date. Brown cannot produce a Form I-20 for you until your transfer release date has been reached.
• If your current advisor determines that you are ineligible to transfer your F-1 sponsorship, please write to ISSS with details.

After logging into the ISSS Gateway, confirm or update your personal information, and upload documents needed for your I-20 or DS-2019. Do not email documents to your admissions office to or ISSS, as everything must be submitted through the Gateway. As you proceed, press “SAVE” as you go, and press “COMPLETE” in Section 5 to finish.

Gateway Sections:

• Section 1: Answer questions and confirm your information.
• Section 2: If you are already in the U.S. in active F-1 status, select “YES” and upload your I-94, I-20, passport, and F-1 visa. Otherwise, select “NO”.
• Section 3: Review your personal information. Contact your Admissions office if anything is incorrect.
  • Upload a clear copy of your entire passport identification page - this should be the passport you will use throughout the visa and arrival process
  • If you were issued a F-1 visa previously (expired or current), upload a copy
  • Enter your foreign home address (required)
  • You do not need to enter a U.S. address at this time
• Section 4: Upload financial documents that demonstrate sufficient funding for at least the first academic year of study. Please consult our Estimate of Expenses web page for more information about what kinds of financial documents are acceptable.
• Section 5: Press “Complete” to finish.

After you have submitted all required documents, they will be reviewed by your Admissions office and/or by ISSS. If additional information is needed, you will be contacted directly. If your information is complete, a Form I-20 (or Form DS-2019) will be issued through Docusign, an electronic document delivery provider. 

Please note: In most cases, review of documents takes 10 to 15 business days. Click here for more information about processing times. If more than 15 business days have passed and you have still not received your document, contact isss@brown.edu. 

Students transferring their F-1 records to Brown may need to wait longer, depending on the SEVIS transfer release date assigned by their current school.

Once you have received your I-20 / DS-2019 notification from Docusign, take the following steps:

• Click on the link to download the form
• Review your personal and program information for accuracy
• Write down your unique SEVIS number, which is printed on page 1 of your I-20 or DS-2019 and is in the format “N00xxxxxxxxxx"
• Read the visa and regulatory information included on the form (usually page 3 for Form I-20 and page 2 for Form DS-2019)
• Print out the form and sign it in the “Student Attestation” section at the bottom of page 1 for Form I-20, or the “Exchange Visitor Certification” section at the bottom of page 1 for Form DS-2019
• Follow any other instructions provided to you with the form
• Contact isss@brown.edu if you have questions about the form, or review our Frequently Asked Questions page

Once you have completed these steps, proceed to Step 4.

Canadian citizens are exempt from the visa requirement and can skip this step.

Take these steps to apply for your visa:

1. Review the website of the U.S. consulate where you will have your visa appointment. Follow the consulate's instructions regarding the non-immigrant visa application process. Note: as of September 2025, you must schedule a visa appointment with a U.S. consulate in your country of citizenship or legal residence. Visa appointments in third countries are no longer permitted.
2. Complete the Form DS-160 online visa application. Be sure to fill out all questions accurately, including questions about your social media accounts. You may be asked to confirm the information you provided on your application later. Also, pay any required fees, including Visa Reciprocity fees (see section below).
3. Schedule your visa appointment after completing your DS-160 visa application. After completing the DS-160, you will be directed to a portal for scheduling your appointment. IMPORTANT: read the section below on “When to Schedule Your Appointment”
4. Follow the consulate's instructions about what to bring to your visa interview. In general, be prepared to show your passport, I-20 or DS-2019, I-901 SEVIS fee payment receipt, copies of your financial documents, and your admission letter. Graduate students may be asked for their CV or other information about their program of study or research plan.
5. Attend your visa interview and wait for a final result. Visa interviews in many cases are very quick, lasting only 1 or 2 minutes. Be prepared to answer questions about your intended program and school, your DS-160 responses, and longer-term plans. Your social media accounts may also need to be set to “public.” Note that many applications are now being subject to administrative processing (background checks), which can take 1 to 2 weeks or longer to clear. If you are informed that your visa has been denied, contact ISSS at isss@brown.edu and provide copies of any written explanations provided by the consulate.
6. Pick up your passport and review your visa. Your consulate will tell you when your passport and visa are ready, and how to pick it up. Make sure that the personal details on your visa is accurate, and take note of the visa issuance and expiration date. A valid and unexpired visa is only needed to enter the U.S., and the visa validity duration can be less or more than the actual expected length of your program.
7. Make travel plans. Finalize your travel plans to the U.S. Remember that for both F-1 and J-1 students, you are not permitted to arrive more than 30 days before the start date of your program, as indicated on your I-20 or DS-2019. This is an immigration restriction and cannot be changed. Do not finalize travel plans until you have received your visa.

Visa reciprocity fees

In addition to the standard DS-160 fee (currently $185), some applicants may owe additional reciprocity fees based on their country. Check the U.S. Visa Reciprocity — select your country, then choose "F" or "J" under visa classification to see any applicable fees. 

When to Schedule Your Visa Appointment

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• 10 Points to Remember When Applying for a Student Visa (NAFSA)

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Please keep in mind that F-1 and J-1 students and their dependents may not make their initial arrival in the U.S. more than thirty (30) days before the program start date indicated on their Form I-20 or Form DS-2019. This is a U.S. immigration restriction and cannot be changed by Brown.

Immigration Inspection

Upon arrival in the U.S., you will be required to go through immigration inspection with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. Even if you have been issued a valid student visa, entry into the U.S. is not automatic, as the final decision to allow you to enter the U.S. is made by CBP. It is important to be prepared by having the following documents available to you. You should carry essential documents in your carry-on bag; do not store them in checked luggage.

• Unexpired passport valid at least six months into the future upon arrival
• A valid and unexpired F-1 or J-1 entry visa (exception: Canadian citizens typically are not required to have an entry visa)
• Your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 visa certificate for Brown
• Your financial documents
• Your admission letter or other proof of admission to Brown
• If F-2 or J-2 dependents are accompanying you, their immigration documents (passport, visas, I-20 / DS-2019 forms) and proof of family relationship (marriage certificate, proof of parental relationship)

In addition to the above documents, you should also have other essential information available to you, including

• Emergency contact information, including a personal U.S. contact number (if available)
• ISSS contact information
• Your temporary or long-term address in Providence (e.g., on-campus housing assignment, temporary hotel address, off-campus apartment address, etc.)
• Essential medications that meet U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines for travelers with medication
• School documents and records for any accompanying dependent children
• Small amounts of cash (or access to cash) for immediate expenses

Primary and Secondary Inspection: When you arrive, do NOT enter the line for Global Entry. Instead, follow instructions for non-US citizen immigration inspection. During inspection, a CBP officer will review your documents and ask you questions about your school, your program (including your intended major and program duration), and longer-term plans. If the officer determines that additional information is needed, you may be referred to secondary inspection, where another officer may ask more extensive questions. Secondary inspection visits can last a few minutes to an hour or longer, depending on different factors.

Once you arrive in the U.S. and have successfully cleared immigration inspection, you will be issued an electronic Form I-94 record that indicates your class of admission (e.g., F-1 or J-1) and your “Admit Until” date, which should always be “D/S” for duration of status.

The I-94 is an extremely important legal document that shows that you entered the U.S. in proper status as an F-1 or J-1 student (or as an F-2 or J-2 dependent). The I-94 may be required when applying for benefits such as a Social Security Number, and should be carried at all times while in the U.S. to show your legal status. 

After arriving in the U.S.:

• Look up your I-94 record. You will need your passport number to search for the record.
• Print and download a copy to your phone and/or laptop, as you will later need to upload a copy into the ISSS Gateway
• Make sure the information on the form is correct; the visa type must indicate F-1 or J-1 and the Admit Until date must be D/S
• Print a hardcopy to keep in your backpack or bag on a daily basis
• Repeat these steps each time you re-enter the U.S. after an international trip

All new students attending Brown University in F-1 or J-1 status must complete an online immigration check-in with ISSS within 3 business days of their arrival on campus.

This step is required. Any student who fails to complete their immigration check-in may have their SEVIS record terminated, in accordance with U.S. immigration regulations that require all check-ins to be completed within specific time periods after arrival in the U.S.

Check-in is also needed to activate your SEVIS record, which may be necessary for any student who is offered an on-campus job and needs to apply for a Social Security Number.

How to Complete Your Check-in

Please have the following available as electronic PDF or JPEG files when completing the online check-in form:

• Passport ID page
• Form I-20 or DS-2019 (must signed by the student in the Student Certification or Exchange Visitor Certification section)
• I-94 arrival record
• If applicable, provide the same documentation for any dependents who were issued Forms I-20/DS-2019

Log in to your ISSS Gateway portal, click on the Requests & Documents tab, then select/complete/submit the "New Student Registration" request after you arrive to the U.S. in F-1/J-1 status.

Contact isss@brown.edu if you have any difficulties with the check-in process.

Once you have arrived at Brown, you should take additional steps when starting your program at Brown. 

1. Review the information on our Moving to Providence and International Student Orientation guide for information about getting oriented at Brown
2. Get your Brown ID card if you have not done so already, from the Brown ID office in Page-Robinson Hall, 5th floor (upstairs from ISSS)
3. If you are working at Brown (e.g., you have an assistantship or other on-campus job):
   • complete your Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form with the HR Service Center in Page-Robinson Hall, 2nd floor
   • simultaneously, apply for a Social Security Number following instructions from ISSS