There are many steps in the lifecycle of an I-20, and we hope this guide will help you to find your next step!
Step 1: Pay Your $2,000 Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (Graduate) or $200 Tuition Deposit (Undergraduate)
- This creates your DePaul student record.
- The Graduate Enrollment Confirmation Deposit is non-refundable unless you provide documented evidence of a visa denial.
- The Undergraduate Tuition Deposit is non-refundable.
- The Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (Graduate) and the Tuition Deposit (Undergraduate) are credited towards your first term tuition.
Step 2: Submit Your Intent to Enroll Form (Graduate) / Accept Your Offer (Undergraduate)
- This tells us that you plan to join the DePaul community.
- Approximately 3-5 days after you complete both Step 1 and Step 2, you will receive an email invitation to request your I-20.
Step 3: Log in to the DePaul ISS Portal (https://intlportal.depaul.edu/_portal/)
- Use your DePaul login information.
- If you are unable to login:
- Your Enrollment Confirmation Deposit/Tuition Deposit may not have finished processing.
- You may not have submitted your Intent to Enroll/accepted your offer for your new term of study (if you are deferring your admission from a previous term.)
- Log in to Grad Gateway (graduate) or Blue Demon Domain (undergraduate) to complete this step.
Step 4: Complete your Profile.
- Enter your Location Information.
- Confirm that your Personal Information, Program Information and Contact Information are all correct and upload a copy of your current, valid passport.
- If any of the above are incorrect, contact your admission advisor to have it corrected before moving forward.
- Complete your Financial Details section.
- This documents how you plan to fund your studies at DePaul.
- Be sure to upload copies of the Financial Affidavit of Support and Bank Statements for all sponsors.
Step 5: Submit Your I-20 Request once everything is correct and complete.
- Click the “Complete" button.
Step 6: Your Admission Advisor and ISS will review your profile and financial documents.
- Status “Submitted": Your advisor and ISS are currently reviewing your profile.
- Status “Clarification Requested": This means that your advisor and ISS need clarification or new supporting documents. Your status will remain “Clarification Requested" until you provide the missing information.
- Status “Approved": Your I-20 is being processed.
Step 7: Download Your I-20
- Status: Complete
- Your I-20 is now complete, and you can download your I-20 from the ISS Portal.
- Go to tab 3 - Control Center
- Scroll Down to Documents
- Click on the I20 to download & print
FAQs
Why can't I log in to the DePaul ISS Portal?
Before contacting your admission advisor, check to be sure:
- You've submitted the Intent to Enroll Form for your intended entry term (Graduate) or accepted your offer (Undergraduate)
- You've paid the Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (Graduate) or Tuition Deposit (Undergraduate and ELA)
- You've allowed 48 hours for processing.
- You've checked your new DePaul email address for the invitation to access the ISS Portal.
If all of the above can be answered with “Yes!", then you can contact your admission advisor to request assistance. It helps to include a screenshot of the message you receive when you try to log in. Be sure to include your full name and your DePaul student ID in your email.
What does the status “Clarification Requested" mean?
An example of why your status may be “Clarification Requested" would be if:
- Your passport name or date of birth does not match your application.
- The Financial Affidavit of Support Form was missing a signature or did not document sufficient funding.
- One or more bank statement(s) was more than six months old.
- Your permanent foreign address was incomplete.
To correct any of these, please log in to the DePaul ISS Portal and contact your admission counselor.
My status is “Approved"; when will I get my I-20?
Once your status changes to “Approved", your I-20 will typically be ready in 3-5 business days. When it is ready, you will receive an email to let you know that it can be downloaded from the ISS Portal.
I started my I-20 request before the ISS Portal opened. Do I need to start my request again in the new portal? Yes, the ISS Portal is not connected to the old I-20 processing system. If your I-20 request was not completed in the old system, please make the request in the new system
(https://intlportal.depaul.edu/_portal/).
I'm an admitted graduate student. I am not able to get a visa appointment/I had a family emergency and won't be able to arrive to start my program in time. Can I defer my start term?
DePaul's deferral policy is as follows:
- Admitted international graduate students need to pay an Enrollment Confirmation Deposit ($2,000) and submit an Intent to Enroll form before they can request a deferral.
- Deferrals will be allowed one time within one academic year of the initial term of enrollment.
- Students who do not enroll within the academic year deferral period must re-apply; submit a new application, pay another $75 application fee, and pay a new Enrollment Confirmation Deposit ($2,000). If admissible, the initial deposit will not be applied to the student's tuition account.
My visa appointment is not until just before the start of the term, and I won’t have my visa before the Program Start Date on my I-20. Can I arrive late? What is the last day I can arrive on campus?
While the visa application process can include delays, students are expected to arrive no later than the program start date as listed on the I-20; and we do not provide I-20 updates or letters for the sake of late arrival.
Here are some key things to consider before a late arrival to the U.S.:
- F-1 students are required to attend in-person courses beginning in their first term.
- Missing classes may impact both your immigration status and your academic success.
- If you are not able to arrive before the deadline to add classes for your first term, we recommend that you remain abroad and defer your I-20 to arrive in the U.S. for a future term.
If you attempt to enter the U.S. after the deadline to add classes, you risk the possibility of being denied entry at a U.S. port of entry; you may also be in jeopardy of losing your lawful status should you be unable to successfully complete an in-person course.