I-20 Certificate Eligibility for Canadian students Forum

[tomohiro7]

I am a Canadian citizen and have recently been given an offer of admission to an American law school. One U.S. government web site ensures that Canadians do not need visas to study in the country; instead, at the port of entry the Officer will require the followings:

1) Proof of identity and citizenship (a Canadian passport for example)
2) The original I-20 (or DS-2019) certificate
3) Proof that you have paid your SEVIS fee
4) Proof that you have the funds to pay for the school that you plan to attend
5) Proof of your ties to Canada

I don't know if there are any Canadians here in this forum, but if there is one, I'd appreciate your advice on whether those 5 items are all they require that I have at the port of entry. I don't know if there's any other requirement from the Department of State or Department of Homeland Security.

[pattymac]

Hey pal,
DOnno how much this helps but my best friend goes to school in the states and he said its very easy to obtain an I20, which is all your really worried about at the point right? I know that you have to have it present w/ you at ALL times, even when you're not going to school (say you're going to a sporting event, shopping, etc.). Theyre REALLY strict about this, my buddy got a strike early on in his first year for forgetting his. It pretty much just shows that you're not living or working in the United States. You also have to renew it every year as well.

Which school did you get into?

[pattymac]

Also, I think that SEVIS thing only applies when you're going to get your i20, which is all you have to show with your passport to cross back and forth everyday. As for showing your ties to Canada, I think your paossport would suffice but i want to say that my buddy got a couple letters of reference? PM me and I can ask him if you need any more info.

[februaryftw]

To clarify: you need to have the funds that prove you can support yourself in the US without working, not simply enough to show you can pay tuition. Last year I think the figure was slightly more than $20, 000 US/year for living expenses (I believe it is federal and uniform, but I'm not sure).

I'm not sure about the Visa issue.

Your passport + I-20 usually suffices for border crossings but it is often advised to bring proof of SEVIS and letters of good standing from your academic program. To put this in perspective, when you cross the border they are going to want to know you are not a risk to stay illegally.