Requesting Your I-20 Certificate

If you have been admitted to one of Berklee's undergraduate programs, graduate programs, or the Music and English Intensive Program (MEIP), follow the following steps to request your I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status (commonly referred to as simply the "I-20"). 

If you are currently studying at another US 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. 

Step 1: Accept your Offer of Admission and pay your tuition deposit

Step 2: Download and Complete the I-20 Request Packet

The I-20 request packet includes an estimate of expenses, a checklist for all required documents, and instructions for submitting your I-20 request packet and supporting materials to Berklee.

Download the I-20 Request Packet: I-20 Request Packet (Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026)

Step 3: Submit the I-20 Request Submission Form

Use the I-20 Request Packet Submission Form to submit your documents to Berklee. It may take up to four weeks for your I-20 certificate to be issued. We will email your I-20 to the email address that you provided on the I-20 Request Packet Submission Form.

Review, Print, and Sign your I-20 Certificate 

Review, print, and sign your I-20 certificate, then present it at your visa interview and at the US port of entry. You must present a hard copy with your signature for visa or travel purposes. A digital copy on your phone or other device will not be accepted.

If you are transferring your SEVIS record to Berklee from another US school, your Berklee I-20 certificate can be issued once your I-20 request packet has been approved and your SEVIS record has been released to Berklee from your current school.

Paying the I-901 SEVIS Fee Online

You will use the information on the I-20 certificate issued by Berklee to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. This $350 USD fee is paid directly to the US Department of Homeland Security and is used to cover the costs of operating the SEVIS system.

Transfer students: Students transferring their SEVIS record from another US school to Berklee do not have to pay the SEVIS fee again, as their SEVIS ID number will not change.

Make sure you keep a copy of your fee payment receipt. 

I-20 Request Deadlines:

Canadian and Bermudian citizens: you are required to request an I-20 and pay the I-901 SEVIS fee even though you do not need to apply for an F-1 visa at a US consulate or embassy. The I-901 SEVIS fee payment is verified at the US port of entry. We recommend that you pay the I-901 SEVIS fee at least three days prior to entering the US. You will need to present your passport, I-20, I-901 SEVIS fee receipt, and supporting financial documentation at the US port of entry in order to be admitted to the US in F-1 status. 

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