The Personal Information page of the online application asks your typical biographic and demographic data.
The Residency Information page allows you to indicate your visa eligibility document request and provide information regarding your citizenship and visa status.
You will need to indicate if you need an intial, change of level, transfer, or change of status visa eligibility document.
You will be asked if you need any dependent I-20s/DS-2019s.
You will be asked to upload a copy of your passport and proof of funding documentation.
All international applicants requesting visa eligibility documents (I-20 or DS-2019) are required to demonstrate that they have adequate financial resources to cover the cost of their education while in the United States. Financial documentation is required as part of the application process in order for visa eligibility documents (I-20 or DS-2019) to the U.S. to be issued. International applicants should upload the following documentation directly to the online application. Note that this documentation may be submitted after you submit your graduate application.
If the student will provide funding from personal funds, a Bank Statement with sufficient funding for at least one year’s total cost* is required. Please refer to the PDF of the Declaration and Certification of Finances form for specific expense amounts.
If a family or other personal sponsor will provide funding, a Bank Statement with sufficient funding for at least one year’s total cost* is required. One of the following additional documents is also required: Declaration and Certification of Finances form verifying sponsorship for full length and cost of the program OR signed Letter of Sponsorship detailing amounts and length of sponsorship.
If an employer, government or organization will provide funding, a signed Letter of Sponsorship detailing amounts and length of sponsorship is required.
You must obtain a bank statement from your bank (web printouts are acceptable for online banking) showing the bank's letterhead or logo, and bank stamp or bank signature.
The statement must show sufficient funding for one year’s costs* (or amount of sponsorship for one year), must be dated within one year of submission, and must show funding in liquid accounts, such as savings, checking, money market accounts, or CDs.
Non-liquid funding such as stocks, bonds, auto/land deeds are not acceptable forms of financial support.
Solvency and opinion statements are not acceptable forms of financial support.
The sponsor must sign and print his/her name and relationship to the student, and the form must be dated within one year of submission.
Signing this document verifies sponsorship for the full length and cost of the program.
The form is available in PDF format here.
You must obtain an official letter of sponsorship from the sponsor that includes a signature or stamp showing the authenticity of the letter.
The letter must detail amounts and length of sponsorship and be dated within one year of submission.
Please do not mail or fax in a copy of this documentation which you have uploaded to your online application. Instead, use only the upload feature of our online application at this point. This saves you the time, effort, and expense of mailing financial documents to us during the initial processing and review of your application. It also avoids any delays resulting from the non-receipt of financial documents and assures you that your documents have been successfully submitted, since you can view them yourself online.
Please be certain that your document is saved as a PDF file or Word document. Scanning in “gray scale” or black and white may produce the best results.
If the scanned file is too large you may want to make a photocopy first (experiment with different settings until you find one that results in the smallest file size) then scan the photocopy.
The University of Illinois reserves the right to require official proof of funding documentation at any time during the SEVIS review process.
*Note that J-1 students will be required to show proof of funding (via bank statement) for the entire cost of the program (or the portion for which funds are being covered by personal or other individual sponsor funding).
The Certificate of Eligibility Form I-20 will be issued to admitted applicants who request and are eligible for an F-1 visa. F-1 students may not hold appointments that total more than 20 hours per week when school is in session, and full-time during vacation period provided the student intends to register in the following semester. Twelve months of optional practical training in a study program may be authorized. Dependents of F-1 students cannot be employed.
A DS-2019 Form will be issued to admitted applicants who request and are eligible for a J-1 visa. Applicants sponsored by their governments, international foundations, or agencies, who receive at least 50 percent of their funding from any source other than personal or family funds, or who are part of a university exchange are eligible to receive this form. Entry into the U.S. is only for the total period of the study program as specified on the DS-2019. J-1 students may work on or off-campus only with written approval from their sponsor. Students may participate in up to 18 months of academic training and up to 36 months of post-doctoral training. Changing visa category is very difficult and may not be allowed. J-1 visa holders may be subject to a 2-year home country residence requirement. Dependents on J-2 visas may seek employment.
A student may not enroll or pursue studies while on a B1/B2 or F-2 visa.
A student may choose to enroll and pursue studies while on an H-1 visa or they may choose to change status to a student visa. However, please note that an H-1 visa holder cannot hold a graduate assistantship appointment. If you choose to remain on a non-student visa during your studies at Illinois, you will need to upload a copy of your U.S. visa in your online application.
Information regarding the SEVIS I-901 Fee may be obtained from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website.
The Proposed Program Information page allows you to pick the program and term you are applying for, as well as answer program-specific questions.
The Academic History page of the online application requires you to provide detailed information about all post-secondary institutions you have attended.
For each institution, you will need to provide the following information:
Below are some tips for uploading any material in your online application:
The University of Illinois reserves the right to require official credentials at any time during the admissions process, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between unofficial and official credentials are found.
The Test Scores page is where you should list the scores of any relevant test(s) you have taken, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the Inernational English Language Testing Service (IELTS).
Proof of English proficiency is not required for admission for domestic applicants. Some domestic applicants may be required to demonstrate proof of spoken English if applying for a teaching assistantship. Please review the English proficiency requirements for teaching assistants.
All international degree-seeking applicants are required to submit the results of an accepted test as evidence of English proficiency unless they qualify for an exemption. Official scores are required to be submitted directly from the testing agency. All scores must be dated within two years of the beginning of the proposed admission term. Acceptable tests and corresponding minimum scores are available below. A student who does not meet the English proficiency requirement for admission may be admitted on limited status and be required to take the English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) prior to enrolling at Illinois.
Accepted Tests |
Limited Status Admission Minimum
|
Full Status Admission Minimum |
---|---|---|
TOEFL iBT |
79 | 103 |
IELTS Academic Exam | 6.5 | 7.5 |
Duolingo |
105 | 125 |
Applicants who meet one of the following criteria are exempt from the English proficiency requirement for admission:
Illinois Graduate Admissions recognizes the following countries as having English as the primary language: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St. Kitts, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and Zimbabwe.
Please note that all English proficiency requirements and exemptions listed above are for admission purposes only. Admissions minimums are not equivalent to minimums required for holding a teaching assistantship; and not all exemptions apply for those holding a teaching assistantship. For more information, please see the English Proficiency Requirement for Graduate Teaching Assistants.