New international students who are entering the U.S. for the first time on an F-1 visa can only enter the country 30 days prior to the start of classes. This 30-day rule applies to both new international students and students returning from a leave of absence who have received a new, initial I-20 from SVA.

Summer 2025 semester

The earliest date you may arrive in the U.S. for the summer 2025 semester is April 6, 2025, 30 days before the start of the summer semester on May 6, 2025.

Pre-College Program: For students attending the Pre-College program, the earliest date you can enter the U.S. is June 7, 2025, 30 days before the Pre-College program start date, July 7, 2025. 

English and Visual Arts (EVA) Program: For students starting the EVA program, the earliest date you can enter the U.S. is June 7, 2025, 30 days before the EVA program start date, July 7, 2025. 

Fall 2025 semester

The earliest date you may arrive in the U.S. for the fall 2025 semester is August 3, 2025, 30 days before the start of the fall semester on September 2, 2025.

The 30-day entry rule does not apply to returning students who already have a valid F-1 visa and active I-20.

Canadian citizens are required to obtain F-1 status in order to legally study in the U.S. but do not need to apply for the visa stamp at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  In order to obtain F-1 status, you must show the I-20 form issued by SVA, proof of SEVIS fee payment and supporting financial documentation to the Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry when you enter the U.S. Do not enter the U.S. as a visitor, the Visa Waiver Program or as a B-1/B-2 Visitor because full-time study is prohibited under the visitor visa status.

See “Pay the SEVIS $350 Fee” section under Application Requirements below.

If you already have a valid F-1 visa and are enrolled in another SEVP-approved institution in the U.S., you must have your I-20 sponsorship transferred to SVA.

Download the I-20 Transfer Form. Have the international student advisor at your current or previous school fill out and sign the form. Upload the completed form in the Terra Dotta Student Portal when applying for your new I-20 from SVA.

Your SEVIS record will be transferred to SVA when the release date is reached. The release date is determined by your previous school. If you are in valid F-1 status, SVA will issue the transfer I-20.

Incoming students for Fall 2025

ISO will begin issuing the Form I-20 for students who will be starting at SVA in the Fall 2025 in early 2025. You will need this Form I-20 indicating your program start date for your F-1 visa interview appointment. Please expect to receive further instructions by email to your MyID account.

Please check the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country for the latest update.

How to Request Your I-20

Please refer to the I-20 request email invitation which will be sent to your SVA email account. You must have a valid myID user account to log in. Do not create a user profile using a non-SVA email. User profiles created with a non-SVA email will be deleted.

The Certificate of Eligibility, Form I-20, is issued to enrolled students within a few weeks upon the enrollment fee payment and completion of required questionnaires in the Terra Dotta system. See below for how to access the Terra Dotta.

Accessing the Terra Dotta system:

Only new students who have paid the enrollment fee have access to the Terra Dotta system using MyID credentials. Students will receive an email invitation to log in to Terra Dotta and submit the I-20 request. If your login returns an error message, "SIS Data Not Found" - please email iso@sva.edu so we can verify your account.

Technical Assistance

If you experience technical problems logging into Terra Dotta using your MySVA information, please do the following to ensure access to MySVA first.

1. Go to myaccount.sva.edu

2. Click on the 3rd option, “Secure my Account”

3. After securing the account, choose option 1, “Reset my password.”

Please contact helpdesk@sva.edu for assistance. Once you have successfully changed your password and logged into myid.sva.edu, please click on the Terra Dotta icon, which should appear on your dashboard.

I-20 Issuance Timeframe

Once you have submitted all required information, ISO will review your materials and contact you if further information is needed. If the documents are deemed sufficient, an electronic copy of your I-20 will be provided through Terra Dotta.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has issued policy guidance regarding the Use of Electronic Signatures and Transmission for the Form I-20. You will need to download, print, sign, and carry the I-20 for your F-1 visa interview appointment and entry to the U.S.

Please monitor your SVA email account for updates.

After you receive the I-20 from SVA, fill out the DS-160 Online Application Form.

A list of U.S. Consulates and Embassies is available at www.usembassy.gov.

Schedule an interview appointment at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your home country. We do not recommend scheduling an appointment until you receive the form I-20.

Follow the instructions on your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s website to pay the $185 visa application fee.

If your I-20 is marked for initial attendance, you will need to pay the $350 SEVIS fee.

If you are transferring your I-20 from another school, applying for an F-2 dependent visa, or have paid this fee and been denied a visa within the last twelve months, you do not need to pay the SEVIS fee.

To Pay Online: 

It is strongly recommended that you pay your SEVIS fee online and not by mail.

Access the Form I-901: www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/

Enter SVA’s SEVIS School Code: NYC214F00731000. Your SEVIS ID Number starts with an N and is listed on the top of your I-20.

Complete the form online and supply the credit card information. You may use credit cards that were issued in the U.S. or in your country. Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20.  You must enter the Credit Card Security code prior to Credit Card authorization.  The Credit Card Security code is a security feature for credit card transactions, for protection against credit card fraud. For Visa or MasterCard, the Credit Card Security code is the last three digits printed on the back of the card.  For American Express, the Credit Card Security code is a four-digit number that is printed above the credit card number on the front of the card.  (Please refer to the samples sent with your I-20.)

Print a copy of the receipt.

You must bring the SEVIS fee payment receipt to the interview. 

• Passport valid for at least six months
• Certificate of Eligibility, Form I-20 (You must sign the form)
• SVA’s letter of admission
• Completed visa application form (DS-160 online)
• Two 2" x 2" photographs in the specified format (See the www.travel.state.gov website)
• A receipt of the visa application fee payment
• A receipt for the SEVIS fee payment. Print the payment confirmation screen upon payment. A paper receipt will not be mailed.
• Financial evidence of sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses. You must bring the original and sufficient letter/statement from you or your sponsor’s bank.
• Any information to prove that you will return to your home country after finishing your studies in the U.S. This may include proof that your family members live in your home country, or that you have a job to return to or other ties to your community.

The visa stamp will be affixed to your passport after a short interview.

If your visa is delayed or denied:

Please contact the International Student Office immediately and email us a copy of the denial letter. The most common reasons for visa denial are failures to prove sufficient ties to your home country or the lack of sufficient proof of financial support.