Graduate Student Visa Information

Eligibility

Before issuing a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) for visa purposes, the university must determine that the applicant is scholastically admissible to a graduate program, sufficiently fluent in the English language to undertake such a program, and possesses financial support or resources to cover required fees, transportation, and living expenses for at least the first year of study. Evidence of these qualifications is in the form of:

Academic Records and/or Transcripts
Demonstrated English Language Proficiency
I-20 or DS-2019 Supporting Documents for International Applicants - This is not required until the applicant has accepted an offer of admission to UCSD.

I-20 Certificate and DS-2019 Information

GSR and TA Information

Fellowships or scholarships that provide a stipend (paid directly to the student or administered by the university) may be supplemented up to 25 percent time (ten hours per week maximum) by appointment as a graduate student researcher or teaching assistant unless the terms of the award state the supplementation in any amount is not permitted.

Reminder: International applicants who defer their admission will need to submit updated support documents to obtain visa forms.

Opportunities for employment, on or off campus, are extremely limited, and international applicants should not base their educational plans on the hope of finding employment after arrival in the United States.