New Student Intake Form: Biographical Information

Please be sure to upload the photo identification page of your passport to the NSIF (not the cover or any other informational pages).

The information listed on the I-20 or DS-2019 must EXACTLY match the passport you intend to use for your visa interview and travel. If you have multiple passports, please determine which one you will use for your travel to the United States as a student and list your details to match that document.

When completing the New Student Intake Form, please consider the following guidance:

• Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport. To find the official formatting of your name, reference the second to last line on the bottom of your identification page of a machine-readable passport (see sample below). Your surname will be separated by << from your given name(s). If there is an official custom in your country that allows for a different order of your name in the passport (such as: Last Name, Middle Name, First Name), please include a short explanation. If you do not have a surname listed on your passport, ISO is required to enter your full name in the last name field of the SEVIS database and to leave your first name blank. 
• A copy of the passport identification/photo page is required, plus any extended validity period notated on another page. If you do not have a passport because you are required to have an I-20 or DS-2019 in order to apply, please check the box for 'Passport not available'. In this case, you must provide a copy to the ISO once you receive it.

It is important to make sure that the name entered into the SEVIS database is accurate, to avoid problems when you apply for the visa. Additionally, the University systems must list your name the same way, so the information provided on this form may be used to update your University records as well.

Sample: Machine Readable Passport

Return to additional instructions for the New Student Intake Forms.