International Student Information

 

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Visa Information for Participants Coming to the United States

A visa is a permit which allows you to apply for entry into the United States. The visa is issued by the U.S. embassy or consulate after you present a form I-20 (certificate of eligibility for the F-1 student visa) or DS-2019 (certificate of eligibility for the J-1 student visa), evidence of financial support, and other required documents in support of your application for the F-1 or J-1 visa. 

Summer Law Programs

Please contact our office at internationallaw@ucdavis.edu for visa information for the summer programs.

LL.M. Students

Most students taking part in our LL.M. program apply for the F-1 visa. However, some students may be eligible for both an F-1 and J-1 visa.  The J-1 visa may be appropriate if you are sponsored by your government or in an exchange program.  A comparison of the two visas can be found here:  https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2017/08/studying-at-us-universities-and-colleges-f-1-versus-j-1-visas  If you are unsure as to which status you should obtain, please contact our office.

If you accept UC Davis School of Law's offer of admission, the UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) will email you instructions for applying online for an I-20 form. Along with your I-20 application, you will be required to submit an electronic copy of your passport, as well as financial documentation which demonstrates that you possess the necessary funds to pay for the costs of tuition and living expenses. After receiving and processing these items, SISS will issue your I-20 form, and you can arrange for it to be sent to you. After receiving the I-20 form, you must make an appointment at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence in order to apply for an F-1 student visa to travel to the United States. Please make an appointment well in advance of the date you intend to travel to the United States, as some embassies and consulates take several weeks (or even months) to process visa requests.

The U.S. embassy requires proof of a participant’s source(s) of financial support for his/her stay in the U.S. at the time of application for the visa. Your financial statement can be a recent bank statement (personal or that of a family member), a letter on letterhead from your sponsor (e.g. your employer), an official scholarship letter which details your funding, or a combination of any of these funding sources. If the bank statement is from a third party (parent, relative, etc.), a brief signed sponsor note which states that the third party is willing to cover tuition/living expenses must also be included. Financial documents/letters must be dated within 90 days of receipt of the submission of your I-20 request.

If your spouse and/or minor children will accompany you to the United States, they can apply for F-2 or J-2 “dependent” visas and can either enter the U.S. with you or join you later.

If you currently live in the U.S. and wish to change your visa status to F-1 or J-1, or if you are transferring to UC Davis from another school or transferring to another school after your studies at UC Davis, please contact our office for assistance. 

Exchange Students

Along with your offer, you will receive information on how to apply for your DS2019. You will be required to submit an electronic copy of your passport, as well as financial documentation which demonstrates that you possess the necessary funds to pay for your living expenses. After receiving and processing these items, UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) will issue your DS2019 form, and you can arrange for it to be sent to you. After receiving the DS2019 form, you must make an appointment at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence in order to apply for a J-1 student visa to travel to the United States. Please make an appointment well in advance of the date you intend to travel to the United States, as some embassies and consulates take several weeks (or even months) to process visa requests.

The U.S. embassy requires proof of a participant’s source(s) of financial support for his/her stay in the U.S. at the time of application for the visa. Your financial statement can be a recent bank statement (personal or that of a family member), a letter on letterhead from your sponsor (e.g. your employer), an official scholarship letter which details your funding, or a combination of any of these funding sources. If the bank statement is from a third party (parent, relative, etc.), a brief signed sponsor note which states that the third party is willing to cover tuition/living expenses must also be included. Financial documents/letters must be dated within 90 days of receipt of the submission of your I-20 request.

Visiting Scholars/Professors

The UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) will email you instructions for applying online for a DS-2019.

A DS-2019 will only be issued after (1) you have been admitted to the visiting scholar program,  (2) receipt of financial documentation dated within the last 90 days and showing enough funding to cover living expenses while in the U.S., (3) receipt of a copy or scan of your valid passport, (4) receipt of certification of English language proficiency and (5) you have completed DS-2019 request form through SISS.

The U.S. embassy requires proof of a participant’s source(s) of financial support for his/her stay in the U.S. at the time of application for the visa. Your financial statement can be a bank statement (personal or that of a family member) or a letter on letterhead from your sponsor (e.g. your employer).  If the bank statement is from a third party (parent, relative, etc.), a brief signed note which states that the third party is willing to cover tuition/living expenses must also be included.  Financial documents/letters must be dated within 90 days of submission of your DS-2019 request.

If your spouse and/or minor children will accompany you to the United States, they can apply for a J-2 “dependent” visas and can either enter the U.S. with you or join you later.

If you currently live in the U.S. and wish to change your visa status to J-1, or if you are transferring to UC Davis from another school or transferring to another school after your program at UC Davis, please contact our office for assistance.

Helpful Websites For LL.M., Exchange, and Visiting Scholars