I-20 and F-1 Visa Information

The following information is for admitted international students coming to Berklee's Boston or NYC campuses, and continuing students who were studying in Valencia for their first semester and are coming to Berklee's Boston or NYC campuses.

If you are spending your first year on the campus in Valencia, Spain and need a Spanish visa, please visit First Year Abroad Visa Information.

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Studying in the U.S.

International students who wish to study at Berklee will need to obtain an I-20 from Berklee and an F-1 visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of residence.* Both an I-20 and F-1 visa are required to enter the U.S. and begin studying at Berklee.

Applying for an I-20 and F-1 visa will take several weeks. It is very important to send in your I-20 request forms and supporting financial documents as early as possible. You will not be able to begin your studies at Berklee until you have obtained both a Berklee I-20 and an F-1 visa.

*Canadian and Bermudian citizens: note that you are not required to apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy. You will need to present your passport, I-20, I-901 SEVIS fee receipt, and supporting financial documentation at the U.S. port of entry in order to be admitted to the U.S. in F-1 status.

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How to Request an I-20

If you have been accepted and have paid your tuition deposit for one of Berklee's undergraduate programs, graduate programs, or the Music and English Intensive Program (MEIP), follow the important steps and submission deadlines below to request your 1-20.

If you currently studying at another U.S. school and would like to transfer your SEVIS record to Berklee: follow steps 1–3 below to request a Berklee I-20. The I-20 Request Packet includes a question where you can indicate that you plan to transfer your SEVIS record to Berklee. Your Berklee I-20 can be issued once we have your application and supporting documents, and your SEVIS record has been released to Berklee from your current school.

Submit your I-20 request packet and supporting documents to Berklee by the following deadlines:

Fall Undergraduate ProgramJuly 1
Spring Undergraduate Program December 1
Summer Undergraduate ProgramApril 1
Music and English Intensive Program (MEIP)June 1

Once completing steps 1–4, students must then apply for an F-1 student visa, which is a requirement for attending Berklee if you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident. (Canadian and Bermudian citizens are not required to apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy. They can request to be admitted in F-1 status at the U.S. port of entry by presenting their Berklee I-20, I-901 SEVIS fee receipt, passport, and supporting financial documentation.)

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How to Apply for an F-1 Student Visa

You may apply for an F-1 student visa at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence after you receive your I-20 and pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. 

Applying for an F-1 visa will take several weeks. Although applicants for F-1 visas are given priority for visa interview appointments, you must consider the time it will take to process your visa and return your passport to you. Check the visa appointment wait times for each U.S. embassy/consulate.

Canadian and Bermudian citizens: you are not required to apply for an F-1 visa. However, you will need to present your passport, I-20, I-901 SEVIS fee receipt, and supporting financial documentation at the U.S. port of entry in order to be admitted to the U.S. in F-1 status.

If you currently have a valid F-1 visa in your passport: you do not need to apply for a new F-1 visa if you used it to enter the U.S. in F-1 status in the past, even if you have been outside the U.S. for more than five months and/or if it shows a different school name or SEVIS ID number. Make sure the visa expiration date is after the date you plan to enter the U.S.

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Traveling to the U.S.

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