From the January 16, 2006 Edition Of ISSS-BU News

Why Do I Have So Many I-20s?

When the US federal government established the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) in early 2003, many of the federal regulations governing F-1 and J-1 students changed. Among the most significant regulations were changes to ensure the security of the production of I-20s and DS-2019s, to prevent fraud. As a result, in addition to the initial I-20 issued to students, schools are required to prepare new I-20s for F-1 students whenever a student:

•  Changes or adds a major, minor or concentration
•  Changes level of study
•  Extends the ending date of the I-20
•  Registers for the first time after previously attending another US school
•  Adds a F-2 dependent to the SEVIS record
•  Removes a F-2 dependent from the SEVIS record
•  Needs a new I-20 to apply for a US visa abroad
•  Loses or damages an I-20
•  Has no remaining travel endorsement lines on page 3 of the I-20
•  Applies for reinstatement to student status
•  Applies for curricular practical training
•  Applies for optional practical training
•  Applies for economic hardship employment or employment with an international organization
•  Needs to correct an error or update information on the I-20

Thus, it is not unusual for a student to have many I-20s! This can be frustrating for students, who wonder what they are supposed to do with so many pieces of paper, and need to determine which is the one to use for travel.

Here is advice from the ISSS about what to do with those I-20s:

•  You must save all I-20s, even the ones that are no longer valid or are from a school you previously attended. Keep them together and in a safe place. You may also wish to make a set of photocopies as well (pages 1 and 3), and keep them in a location different from where you keep the originals. Those I-20s represent your immigration history in the United States. When you seek certain benefits from the US government such as employment, you may be asked to present copies of all previously issued I-20s as part of your application.

•  The most recently issued I-20 is your current travel document . To tell which I-20 is the current one, check the issue date in the lower right hand corner of Page 1.

The ISSS knows that multiple I-20s can be cumbersome. The office has had to greatly expand its file space to accommodate the additional
I-20 copies in students' files. But, it is all done to be in compliance with federal regulations.