The majority of international students at Iowa State come in F-1 status, however, depending upon personal situation and preference, students may instead opt to attend Iowa State under J-1 status.

We recommend reviewing this differences between F-1 and J-1 status and deciding which status to pursue based on your own needs.

Please review our guide on the differences between F-1 and J-1 status if you are still uncertain which status is right for you.

F vs J Status Comparison

New international graduate students will receive an initial I-20/DS-2019 by email after completing all required steps with Admissions.

If you are transferring a SEVIS record from another U.S. university, please visit the transfer students section for more information.

Before you can apply for visa or enter the U.S., you will need to pay the SEVIS Fee, also known as the I-901 Fee.

After paying the fee, be sure to print out your receipt. You will need the receipt when applying for your visa.

After completing payment for your I-901 fee, you are ready to proceed with your visa application.

To do this, you will need to Complete a DS-160 visa application form on the U.S. Department of State website. You will need information from your I-20 to complete this form. If you do not have your own contact person in the U.S., you can use the following information to complete the section of U.S. Point of Contact Information.

                Name: Becca Duncan

                Address: 2229 Lincoln Way, STE 4530, Ames, IA 50014

                Phone: 515-294-1120

                Email: brduncan@iastate.edu

Once your DS-160 is complete, you can schedule your visa appointment at your nearby U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Please note, each Embassy manages the process of scheduling an interview differently, so please read the information on your specific Embassy location’s website carefully.

You will want to gather the required documents listed on your specific Embassy’s website before your visa appointment. Your interview usually lasts about 3 minutes, and the consular officer will ask you questions about your goals in the US and plans after your graduation. The following documents should be carried to your visa appointment, in addition to any other documents listed on your Embassy’s website:

  • I-20
  • DS-160 visa application fee receipt
  • I-901 SEVIS fee receipt
  • Valid passport
  • Passport photograph
  • Transcripts from schools/universities attended and relevant test results such as TOEFL/IELTS, GRE or SAT, etc.
  • Financial documents proving available funds for at least one year of expenses
  • Admission letter to Iowa State University
  • Optional: Major professor's CV and publication list
  • Optional: Brief description of your intended program of study.
  • Check your U.S. embassy’s webpage for additional requirements.

You must arrive in the U.S. by the program start date listed on page 1 of your I-20, in the Program of Study section.

You may enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to your program start date. Page 1 of your I-20 will list this as your Earliest Admission Date.

Please Note: Arriving early will likely cause you to incur additional housing and dining costs, so plan your expenses accordingly.

Eligibility:

Students applying for F-1/J-1 status may also request dependent I-20s/DS-2019s for the following:

  • Married spouse
  • Unmarried child or children under the age of 21

Requesting a Dependent I-20/DS-2019:

Students still in the applicant phase or who have received an initial I-20/DS-2019 but not yet travelled to the U.S. should reach out to Graduate Admissions in order to add dependents to their student record. ISSO will issue dependent I-20/DS-2019s after receiving updated information from Admissions.

Dependent Expenses:

Bringing dependents may require additional proof of funding before your I-20/DS-2019s can be issued. Please reference our Graduate Student Expense Worksheet for more information on the additional proof of funding requirements when bringing dependents.