Getting a Visa: Frequently Asked Questions

According to the SEVIS Name Standards, the name on your I-20 must match your name as it appears in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) of your passport. 

If the name on your I-20 does not match the MRZ of your passport or there are issues with your name order, please contact the office that issued your I-20 for assistance.

Please note that both the Preferred Name and Passport Name fields are optional fields on the I-20. 

• The Preferred Name field is pre-populated in SEVIS, which means it will default to your legal name. For students who are transferring from another U.S. institution, it may default to the preferred name from your previous school I-20. The University of Minnesota does not modify this field for initial I-20 processing, and it does not impact a visa application. 
• The Passport Name field is not pre-populated in SEVIS, meaning it will be blank by default. This also does not impact a visa application.

There are two common reasons for your major being listed differently on your I-20. 

Undergraduate degree-seeking students: You may have a pre-major.

Most undergraduate students begin their UMN academic program with a “pre-major” designation. This means that you have additional coursework or some extra steps to take before you can officially declare your major. Having a pre-major designation in your term of admission impacts the major that is listed on your I-20. For example:

• CSE pre-major “Lower Division” students have a major of “Engineering, General” on the I-20
• CLA pre-major students have a major of “Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies” on the I-20

The name of your major at the University of Minnesota may be different from the U.S. Department of Education’s designated name for your major. The major listed on your I-20 is based on the U.S. Department of Education name for the major (also known as a CIP code). Sometimes this is different from the UMN name for the major. 

Example 1: CIP code 11.0501 is interpreted in two different ways: 

• To the UMN it means "Management Information Systems"
• To the U.S. Department of Education it means "Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst"

Example 2: CIP code 23.1304 is interpreted two different ways:

• To the UMN it means “Communication Studies”
• To the U.S. Department of Education it means “Rhetoric and Composition”

If you believe an error was made and is not the result of the difference in CIP code names, please contact the office that issued your I-20 for assistance.

The University of Minnesota uses standard program lengths for each degree level when creating I-20s. We hope that you will complete your degree on time, but some students experience unexpected delays. Using a standard I-20 program length helps ensure that all F-1 students are provided with a sufficient amount of time to complete their degree without needing to request an I-20 program extension. Upon completion of your degree your I-20 program end date will be modified to your actual date of degree completion.

The following standard program lengths are used for all new UMN student I-20s, regardless of whether you are starting a new degree at the UMN or transferring from another U.S. institution to complete a degree:

• Bachelor’s degree: 5 years (60 months)
• Master of Education (MEd): 2 years (24 months)
• All other master’s degrees: 3 years (36 months)
• Doctorate: 7 years (80 months)
• Graduate Certificate: 1.5 years (16 months)
• Professional School: Varies by program

Please note that the I-20 program length reflects only the amount of time you may need to complete your degree. It does not reflect any amount of time that you may remain in the U.S. in F-1 visa status after degree completion to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT) or the 24-month STEM OPT Extension. 

Yes, this is normal for an initial I-20. An Admission Number is generated upon your entry to the United States. Since you have not yet used this I-20 to enter or re-enter the United States, there is no admission number associated with the record at this time. 

If your estimated expenses and/or funding have changed by more than 25%, or your funding source changes prior to your visa interview, you should request an updated I-20. Otherwise, you do not need to change the funding on your I-20.

Passport Name is not a required field on the I-20 and our standard practice is to leave it blank. This will not lead to any issues with your visa application or entry to the U.S.

If you have a close family member or friend in the U.S., enter that person as your U.S. point of contact. If not, enter the name of the person who signed your I-20 along with the ISSS contact information and email address ([email protected]).

The ISSS address and phone number can be found on our website. The address is also in the School Information box of your I-20.

It is best to list your major as it is written on your I-20, as that is your official university and government document.

The information you enter on the DS-160 should match what is on your I-20.

If you have identified the place you would like to live, or have applied for housing, you may enter that address on the DS-160, even if the housing is not confirmed yet. If you have not started researching housing yet, you may enter the school address listed on your I-20.

There is no paper-based transfer-in form for incoming Undergraduate or Graduate students. You can find information about how to report your transfer release information to the University of Minnesota on the ISSS website.  

Your current institution will need the UMN SEVIS School Code to schedule your SEVIS transfer. It is SPM214F00039000.

No. The “Travel Endorsement” (also referred to as a ‘travel signature’) on page 2 of the I-20 is only required “...for re-entry of the student to attend the same school after a temporary absence from the United States”. A travel signature is not necessary on your UMN I-20 prior to the start of your UMN program. 

As a SEVIS transfer student, there are no restrictions on your travel during the semester break. You are allowed to re-enter the U.S. more than 30 days before your UMN program start date, if you choose to. 

You only need to obtain a new F-1 visa if you are traveling outside the U.S. before beginning classes at the University of Minnesota, and your visa will expire before you return. It is okay that your current F-1 visa has the name of a different institution on it, you may continue using it for re-entry to the U.S. while it remains valid (unexpired).

The “Transfer Completed I-20” will be issued within 15 days after the start of the semester. Your Transfer Completed I-20 is your official University of Minnesota I-20.

If you need a Transfer Completed I-20 earlier for employment purposes, email [email protected].

You must first complete these steps before we issue you a “Transfer Completed I-20”:

1. Complete all your ISSS New Student Requirements.
2. Update your “mailing address” (your address in Minnesota) in MyU.
3. Register full-time for courses.