# Understanding Your Immigration Documents

**Source**: https://isss.illinois.edu/students/understanding-immigration-docs/
**Parent**: https://isss.illinois.edu/

Review the information on this page to better understand how to read your immigration documents.

## Guide to Your I-20

[Download this sample I-20 (PDF)](https://isss.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SAMPLE-I-20.pdf) and review the components listed below.

[Sample I-20 (PDF)](https://isss.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SAMPLE-I-20.pdf)

**1** – Your SEVIS number. This number is unique to you.

**2** – Your biographical information.

**3** – Your current degree level.

**4** – Your field of study. *In some cases, this may be different from the university’s name for your degree.*

**5** – Your program’s start and end dates.

**6** – The earliest possible date that you can enter the U.S. before your program start date (30 days before your program start date).

**7** – Estimated average cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses as well as your current funding information.

**8** – Remember to print, sign, and date your I-20 in **blue** ink!

**9** – [Employment](https://isss.illinois.edu/students/employment/) authorization information. This section will show your CPT, OPT, and/or STEM OPT authorizations. You can find more information on [CPT](https://isss.illinois.edu/students/employment/f1-cpt/), [OPT](https://isss.illinois.edu/students/employment/f1-opt/), and [STEM OPT](https://isss.illinois.edu/students/employment/f1-opt-stem/) on our website. *This section may not show your full employment history, so we recommend that you keep your previous I-20s for your records.*

**10** – Reduced course load (RCL) authorization is reflected here.\
     10a: Reason for your RCL.\
     10b: Dates of the RCL approval

**11** – Official start and end dates of the semester in which the I-20 was issued. This will only show the dates of a required semester.

**12** – Travel signature. Valid for 12 **months** from signature date unless you are on OPT, in which case it is valid for 6 months.

## Guide to Your DS-2019

[Download this sample DS-2019 (PDF)](https://isss.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SAMPLE-DS-2019.pdf) and review the components listed below.

[Sample DS-2019 (PDF)](https://isss.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SAMPLE-DS-2019.pdf)

**1** – Your SEVIS number. This number is unique to you.

**2** – Your biographical information.

**3** – Primary site of activity: the main location for your exchange program.

**4** – Your sponsor for your J-1 status.

**5** – Start and end dates of your J-1 program.\
     4a: Your sponsor’s program number.

**6** – Financial support for the duration of your program.

**7** – The category of J-1 exchange visitor you are—including your degree level, if applicable.

**8** – Your field of study and the CIP code.

**9** – [Academic training authorization](https://isss.illinois.edu/students/employment/j1-academic-training/) (if any).

**10** – This section may indicate if you are subject to the 212e two-year home residency requirement, and the reason for being subject. This section is completed by the consular official when applying for a J-1 visa. If you obtain an updated DS-2019 from ISSS, this section may not be completed.

**11** – Your travel signature which is valid for 12 months from the date of signature.

**12** – Remember to sign and date your DS-2019 in **blue** ink!