Visas
UC Berkeley's Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) offers a wide range of services and special programs to international students. Advisers will provide guidance on visa matters, help resolve financial difficulties, and offer advice and resources for personal problems.
Getting a Visa
If you are coming to Berkeley from a foreign country you should enter the U.S. on the F-1 student visa. To obtain an F-1 visa you must first request an I-20 form from UC Berkeley. This document will be prepared and mailed to you approximately one week after we receive your Registration Form and full payment of required fees. Because mailing systems vary from country to country, it could take as long as three weeks for the I-20 to reach you. Once you receive the I-20, visit an American Consulate and request an F-1 visa.
NOTE: If the I-20 does not arrive in time for your departure, request a B-2 "Prospective Student Visa." Take with you evidence of your Summer Sessions registration. Do not request nor enter the U.S. on a B-2 "Tourist" visa or B "Visa Waiver Program." If you are already in the U.S attending UC Berkeley in the summer usually does not require a change in your visa status. However, an I-20 may be required.
- An F-1 visa holder attending an institution in the Spring but not continuing in the Fall
- An F-1 visa holder attending a new institution in the Fall but traveling outside the U.S. before the start of Summer Sessions
- A B-2 Prospective Student Visa holder wishing to change to the F-1 visa.
Students receiving UC Berkeley I-20's must make an appointment with an SISS Office adviser, once an I-20 is in hand, to complete final visa processing.