Welcome to Amherst College!
On behalf of the Office of Immigration Services (OIS), I am thrilled to welcome you to Amherst College!
From your application, we noted that you may require a U.S. visa in order to study on-campus at Amherst College. In order to apply for an F-1 student visa, you will need an I-20, which is a “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” from Amherst College. See below for a breakdown of the main visa process steps.
If you would like the OIS to issue you an I-20 so that you can apply for an F-1 visa, please submit a copy of your passport biographical page to us by logging into your Application Status Page and using the “Upload Materials" function. If you have not done so already, you will also need to submit all required documentation to the Office of Financial Aid. Once your passport upload has been received and your Fall 2023 finances have been reviewed, your I-20 will be issued and emailed to you within a week or two.
If you are currently in the U.S. in F-1 status and have an I-20 at another institution, please submit the F-1 Transfer to Amherst College form, in addition to uploading your passport biographical page.
If you will not be pursuing an F-1 visa (if you plan to study in the U.S. in another status, etc.), please let us know.
Coordinating visa and travel logistics can be a bit daunting, we know. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the OIS—we are here to help!
Warmly,
Hanna Bliss
