Admitted International Students

To accept our offer of admission, log in to the Admissions Portal and complete the online Reply to Offer of Admission form.

After accepting your admission offer, please look for an email from the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) with subject line: “UMass Amherst Visa Sponsorship” -- it will be sent to the email address with which you applied and include the information below as well as other important details. Please do not submit documents to request your I-20 until you receive the email.

Applying for a student visa can take a lot of time and preparation. Be sure to start early!  Upon receipt of the necessary documents and payment of your enrollment fee, we will send you the I-20 form. This is the form that U.S. schools issue to international students to indicate they have met all admission requirements to enter that school. You must take this form with you when you apply to the American Embassy or Consulate for a visa.

If you are already in the U.S. on an active SEVIS record, your UMass Amherst I-20 can only be issued after you submit the required documents and complete the SEVIS transfer release process with your current school. Contact your designated school official on how to request your SEVIS record to be transferred to UMass Amherst. Additional documentation is required and will be provided in your “Visa Sponsorship” email.

All I-20 and visa related questions should be directed to OGA here.

United States student visa regulations require that newly admitted graduate students show advance proof of all funding sufficient for a full 12-month calendar year. This financial information will need to be confirmed by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at the Office of Global Affairs before they can issue the I-20 form (F-1 visa) or DS-2019 form (J-1 visa).

Here are our estimated costs.

Upon admittance, official transcripts must be submitted from all colleges/universities attended, undergraduate and graduate, where nine (9) or more credits were taken. 

In order to be considered official, international transcripts must be submitted in paper format, directly to the Graduate Student Service Center by each institution’s registrar.  Transcripts uploaded to your admissions application or sent as email attachments are not considered official. 

International Transcripts and Degree Certificates: If your transcript does not clearly indicate the awarding of your degree, with the degree title and date awarded, we need the diploma and/or degree certificate in addition to the official final transcripts.

Paper Transcripts: It is preferred that the official documents be delivered directly from the issuing institution to:

Graduate Student Service Center
522 Goodell Building
University of Massachusetts
140 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9333

However, if the document is given to you to forward to UMass, it must be received in the official sealed envelope that is signed and stamped across the envelope flap by the appropriate academic officer at the institution issuing the document.  If the envelope has been opened or there is no stamp or signature across the envelope flap, it will not be accepted. 

English Translation: Transcripts and degree documents that are in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official English translation or an official course-by-course credential evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Commonly used Credential Evaluation Services (visit the NACES website for additional options):

• SpanTran
• WES US
• IEE
• ECE
• Educational Perspectives