Once you accept the offer of admission, you will receive a matriculation letter including the guide of applying for a student visa. Please set up your Uniqname before you start the visa application process.
In order to obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa, you need to first get an I-20 form or DS-2019 form from the University of Michigan. Based on your own situation, please prepare all the required documents using the guide below for requesting an I-20 form or DS-2019 form. Please make sure all the documents you submitted follow our requirements. If any of the documents need to be updated after submission, it will take another 1-2 weeks to be approved.
After you have emailed all required documents as PDF attachments to [email protected] and the documents you sent have been approved, the College of Engineering will take 1-2 weeks to process your I-20 or DS-2019 and then send a request to the U-M International Center. Allow another two weeks for the U-M International Center to complete and create your I-20 or DS-2019. After your I-20 or DS-2019 is completed, you will receive an email to your UMich email address from our International Center inviting you to create your login to MPassport so that you can access your I-20.
Please note that you may not access MPassport until your I-20 document has been created.
**Important: The deadlines for submitting your documents are November 8, 2024 for the 2025 Winter term, March 4, 2025 for 2025 Summer term and May 15, 2025 for 2025 Fall term.
Table of contents:
- Where are you located?
- What kinds of documents meet our requirements?
- Estimated Student Costs and Expenses
- Are you bringing dependents?
Where are you located?
|
Document |
You are currently outside the United States |
You are currently in the United States and a University of Michigan Student |
You are currently in the United States and transferring to the University of Michigan |
|
Passport |
Required |
Required |
Required |
|
Required |
Required |
Required | |
|
Bank Statement(s), or Funding Letter, or both |
Required |
Required |
Required |
|
Current I-20 or DS-2019 |
Required |
Required | |
|
Visa |
Required |
Required | |
|
Most Recent I-94 |
Required |
Required | |
|
EAD Card (submit only if you are under an OPT I-20 or AT) |
Required |
Required | |
|
Required |
Outside the United States
To request an I-20 or DS-2019 for an F-1 or J-1 visa, you must submit the following documents to [email protected]:
- Completed Affidavit(s) of Financial Support
- Bank statement(s) or funding letter
- Copy of your passport, photo page only
In the United States with F-1 or J-1 Status
If You Are at U-M
If you have ended one program at U-M and are beginning another program at U-M (such as Bachelor’s -> Master’s -> Doctorate), you should obtain your new I-20 within 60 days of your previous program’s completion, or your OPT end date. Otherwise, you need to re-enter the U.S with a new SEVIS record.
To request an I-20 or DS-2019 for an F-1 or J-1 visa, you must submit the following documents to [email protected]:
- Completed Affidavit(s) of Financial Support
- Bank statement(s) or funding letter
- Copy of your current I-20 or DS-2019
- Copy of your passport, photo page only
- Copy of your visa
- Copy of your current I-94
- Copy of your Employment Authorization Document (if applicable)
If You Are Transferring Your SEVIS Record from Another U.S. Institution
You are considered a “SEVIS Transfer Student” if you hold F-1 or J-1 student status at another institution in the United States and plan to remain in that visa status. In order to complete the transfer process, you should obtain your new I-20 within 60 days of your previous program’s completion, or your OPT end date. Otherwise, you need to re-enter the U.S with a new SEVIS record. To transfer your SEVIS record to the University of Michigan and to request an I-20 or DS-2019 from U-M, you must submit the following documents to [email protected]:
- Completed Affidavit(s) of Financial Support
- Bank statement(s) or funding letter
- Copy of your current I-20 or DS-2019
- Copy of your passport, photo page only
- Copy of your visa
- Copy of your current I-94
- Copy of your Employment Authorization Document (if applicable)
- Completed transfer-in form
Your International Student Advisor at your current or previous school must electronically release your SEVIS record to U-M after you finish classes and/or upon completion of OPT. The College of Engineering cannot process your new I-20 or DS-2019 until your SEVIS record is released to the University of Michigan. However, even so, you should prepare and submit all the documents before the deadline mentioned above. Otherwise, we won’t have enough time to process your request.
What kinds of documents meet our requirements?
All the documents should be in PDF format. Please note that you do not necessarily need all these documents. Please prepare the documents based on your situation (as shown on the graph above).
1. Passport
Please make sure your name on the passport matches the name on the application you submitted when you applied for our program. If they are not the same, please contact [email protected] to request that we update your name in our system.
Please make sure that all your names used on all the I-20 related documents match your name on your passport.
2. Affidavit(s) of Financial Support
If there are names on the funding documents besides your own name, please ask each individual contributing financially to your education to complete the Affidavit(s) of Financial Support. In the case of jointly held accounts, each individual holder must complete and submit an Affidavit(s) of Financial Support. The guide for filling the form is here. Affidavit(s) of Financial Support can be downloaded from here.
3. Bank Statement(s), Funding Letter, or Both
The types of funding documentation we accept:
- Personal and family funds: An official dated bank statement/letter issued on official letterhead that includes the name of the financial institution, the account holder’s name, type of account, and clearly indicates the currency and the account balance. We can accept the funds from a savings or checking account. If the funds are from a fixed or term deposit account, the maturity or expiry date should be before your program start date. Do not submit statements containing the transaction history.
- A detailed letter from a sponsor stating the exact U.S. dollar amount being provided for tuition, living expenses, health insurance, and dependents (if applicable). This letter must be original and on official letterhead and include the dates of sponsorship, name of program, and degree level. The letter must be dated within one year of initial enrollment.
- University of Michigan Award – Letter or email that details the type of funding (GSI or GSRA, fellowship, etc.), the specific amount for tuition, stipend, and health insurance, and duration of award. If the award does not cover the total estimated expenses, you must provide additional funds, such as personal funds that cover the remaining balance.
- Educational Loans – A detailed letter on official letterhead from the financial institution that indicates your name, the approved amount of the loan, and the duration for which the loan is available.
*Please find the funding document samples here.
The types of funding documentation we DO NOT accept:
- Stocks, bonds, equities, investments, mutual funds, and retirement accounts (Indian Provident Funds: Fund manager must provide terms and conditions for fund disbursement)
- Non-liquid assets of property or personal assets (automobiles, land, buildings, jewelry, etc.)
- Statements verifying employment and salary
- Insurance premiums and policies
- Income tax returns
- Attestations stating only that a sponsor can meet the expenses
**Please Note:
All financial documentation must be issued within 90 days of your request.
All documents (acceptable or unacceptable) submitted for issuing the I-20 will become the property of the University of Michigan and will not be returned to the student.
4. Current I-20 or DS-2019
Only applicable for transfer students. Please provide all pages of your current I-20 or DS-2019.
5. Visa
If you have an existing valid F-1 or J-1 visa, please provide a copy of your current visa.
6. Most Recent I-94
Only applicable for transfer students. Please provide your most recent I-94.
7. EAD Card
If you are currently approved for OPT, please provide a copy of your EAD card.
8. Transfer-In Form
If you are transferring from a non-UM school, please communicate with your current school’s international office to determine your SEVIS release date and then fill in this form. U-M Transfer-in forms can be downloaded here.
Estimated Student Costs and Expenses
If you need an F-1 or J-1 visa, the University of Michigan is required by the U.S. government to obtain documentation proving that international applicants (non-U.S. Citizens) have sufficient financial resources to provide for their expenses while in the United States. You must provide proof of funds for a full academic year, as shown below. CoE Graduate Admissions is the U-M office that will prepare your I-20 or DS-2019 after you have provided the required documents.
Tuition and fees are subject to change at any time as approved by the Board of Regents. You should plan for an annual increase of 5% to 10% on all costs. The following are ESTIMATED EXPENSES for a student from abroad. These figures are subject to change without notice and represent minimum estimated costs only.
Estimated International Student Expenses (Fall 2025)
|
Tuition and Fees for One Academic Year | $63,920 |
|
Living Expenses (housing, food, utilities, transportation, personal items for 12 months) | $27,450 |
|
Books and Supplies (fall and winter terms only) | $1,340 |
|
Mandatory Health Insurance (12 months) | $3,276 |
|
Total Estimated Expenses | $95,986 |
Are you bringing dependents?
If you have dependents accompanying you while you study at the University of Michigan, you are required to provide proof of funds for their living expenses and health insurance in addition to your estimated expenses.
Required Immigration Documents for Dependents
|
Document |
You are outside the United States and bringing dependents |
You are in the United States and bringing dependents |
|
Dependent’s Passport |
Required |
Required |
|
Dependent’s Current I-20 or DS-19 |
Required | |
|
Dependent’s Visa |
Required | |
|
Dependent’s I-94 |
Required |
Please send supporting financial documentation of funds, a copy of the passport for each dependent (showing the picture, biographical information, and expiration date and include the machine readable information) and other documents to [email protected].
Estimated Dependent Expenses
|
Estimated Dependent Expenses (12 Months) |
Per Month Expenses | |
|
Spouse’s living expenses, not including insurance | $6,384 | $532 |
|
Each additional dependent living expenses, not including insurance | $3,204 | $267 |
|
Mandatory Health Insurance for student and one dependent | $6,492 | $541 |
|
Mandatory Health Insurance for student and two or more dependents | $9,708 | $809 |
Questions?
Visit the University of Michigan International Center’s student page for more information or email [email protected].