Important Visa Information 2024-25

Because of your non-immigrant status, you are required to obtain an appropriate visa status that allows you to enroll at Washington University. Please follow the appropriate procedures below for your status type.  

If you a) are outside the United States and plan to come to Washington University on an F-1 student visa, b) currently hold an F-1 status, or c) intend to change to an F-1 status: 

• Current U.S. immigration regulations require certification of admission to Washington University and satisfactory evidence of available funds to finance your proposed program of study. Financial certification must cover at least the first year of your proposed program—a minimum of $98,110 (you may subtract the amount of any scholarship or financial aid you have received from Washington University) for tuition and living expenses. 

• This amount must be in the form of a bank statement with actual U.S. dollar figures stated. The “Affidavit of Financial Support” form outlines the type of certification required. Note: Because some U.S. consular officials ask to see students’ financial certification, we suggest that you keep the originals of your financial documents, to use when applying for the visa. 

If you are currently in the United States: Please complete the online New Undergraduate Student Status Form at https://oiss.wustl.edu/new-undergrad-student-status-form/. This information must be provided to the Office for International Students and Scholars before any visa document can be issued.  

If you previously attended a college program for high school students in the US on an F-1 status during a summer: When the summer program was complete, the university had to complete your SEVIS record to report that you were no longer attending that university. To attend Washington University, we will need to issue you a new I-20 and you will be given a new SEVIS ID. A new SEVIS fee payment is required for your program at Washington University. You may use your previous F-1 visa, if the dates are still valid, along with the new Washington University I-20 to enter the U.S. You do not need to apply for a new visa. Please provide the documentation listed above for your I-20 issuance.    

If your visa status is dependent on your parents or guardian (e.g., H-4, L-2, A-4): If you currently have F-2 status, you are required to change to F-1 status as it is not legal for you to be a full-time, degree-seeking student on an F-2. If you are on another status than F-2, we assume that you will continue to stay in the U.S. on the visa that you presently hold. If you decide to enroll at Washington University and will be changing to an F-1 student visa, please follow the procedure above.  

If your sponsoring agency requires you to be on a J-1 exchange visitor visa: Please contact our office for information on the procedures to obtain the J-1. Your sponsoring agency will need to provide a statement of sponsorship that states the name of the student, affirms the sponsorship is for study at Washington University, details what expenses are being covered, states the dollar amount of the funding for living expenses (if applicable), provides the length and dates of sponsorship, and states the field of study (if applicable).  

If you have another type of visa status: Please contact our office and we will explain the necessary procedures. Please note: International students are not allowed to enter the United States on a tourist (B-2) visa when arriving to begin university studies. It is not legal to study in a degree program on a tourist visa.   

If you are in the process of obtaining or have applied for permanent residence: We are not requesting financial certification from you for the purpose of obtaining a visa. However, if you decide to accept our offer of admission and do not receive your green card showing your alien registration number (an eight-digit number preceded by the letter “A”) by the time of your high school graduation, please inform us and we will explain the necessary procedures.  

Upon receipt of the enrollment deposit and financial certification verifying the availability of sufficient funds for the initial year at Washington University, we will issue the appropriate visa eligibility certificate (Form I-20). This document cannot be completed until both of these items have been received.  

If you have already submitted your financial certification, upon receipt of your enrollment and housing deposit, we will begin processing the appropriate visa eligibility certificate (Form I-20), if you will be on an F-1.   

If you are unsure whether Washington University has received your financial certification, please contact your Admissions Services Coordinator immediately.